After graduating in 1933 from Chicago’s Bowen High School, Sam Galovich enrolled at Knox where he established himself as an outstanding football player. He was a three-year letter winner and the team co-captain his senior year when he also was an All-Little 19 Conference selection and a Midwest Conference All-Star. In addition, Sam was the first Midwest Conference athlete ever selected to play in the
Chicago Tribune All-Star football game, a match that pitted professional champions, the Green Bay Packers, against a college all-star team selected by the fans. Sam’s college team won the game 6-0.
After graduating from Knox in 1937, Sam played professionally for the Chicago Cardinals for one year, earning $100 a game. Sam then left his football playing days behind and taught and coached in Pontiac and at Hirsch High School in Chicago until 1942 when he entered the military. He served his country in the Navy for 41 months during World War II, earning three campaign ribbons, two bronze stars and two Letters of Commendation.
At the end of the war, Sam returned to the teaching ranks when he was hired at Corpus Christi High School in Galesburg. After two years at Corpus Christi, he then went to work for the FBI where he spent 20 years as a Special Agent before retiring in 1967. Once again, Sam returned to education as the Dean of Students at Lisle High School, where he enriched young minds in the classroom as well as on the football field and wrestling mat as a coach until 1979. Sam passed away in 1981.
His daughter, Lucy Galovich-Cox '65 accepted the award in his honor.
