Arthur Leslie Trester (June 10, 1878 in

Pecksburg, Indiana Pecksburg is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Clay Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, Clay Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, Hendricks County, Indiana. History Pecksburg was platted in 1853. It was named for a railroad off ...

– September 18, 1944) was an American basketball administrator. Trester was the commissioner of the

Indiana High School Athletic Association The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public and private high schools in the U.S. state of Indiana. It monitors a system that divides athletically-competing high schools in Indiana ...

(IHSAA) from 1922 to 1944, that organization was the force behind

Hoosier Hysteria Hoosier Hysteria is the state of excitement surrounding basketball in Indiana or, more specifically, the Indiana high school basketball tournament. In part, the enthusiasm stemmed from the one-class tournament, in which a small town's David migh ...

in Indiana. During his tenure as commissioner of the IHSAA he excluded black and

parochial school A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The ...

s from the IHSAA arguing that they were not public high schools. He was enshrined in the

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

as a contributor in 1961. Trester graduated from

Earlham College Earlham College is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quaker values such as integrity, a commitment to peace and social ...

and obtained a master's degree from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. From th
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Leading basketball administrator and native of Pecksburg, Indiana, Arthur Trester was the driving force behind the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Under Trester's direction, the IHSAA became a model organization and the force behind “Hoosier Hysteria” in Indiana. The Indiana High School Athletic Association was in fact one of the finest scholastic organizations in the country during the time of Trester. Served as Commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association from 1929 to 1944 and as its permanent secretary from 1913 to 1929. A strict disciplinarian, coach and referee, Trester also had strong personal integrity, a personal commitment to the game of basketball, and demonstrated an efficiency not often seen in governing organizations. Prior to joining the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Trester served as the superintendent for three Indiana city school systems. Called the “Czar” of Indiana high school athletics, Trester's engaging personality helped high school basketball flourish on a national level.

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1878 births 1944 deaths Columbia University alumni Earlham Quakers baseball players Earlham Quakers men's basketball players Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees People from Hendricks County, Indiana Sports commissioners {{Indiana-stub