Clifford "Cliff" Eugene Barker (January 15, 1921 – March 17, 1998) was a
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player from the United States, who won the gold medal with the
USA national basketball team
The USA Basketball Men's National Team, commonly known as the United States men's national basketball team, is the basketball team representing the United States. They are the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in ...
at the
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and two national championships at the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
.
While at the University of Kentucky, Barker was an All-SEC (Second Team) and All-SEC Tournament guard during the 1947–48 and 1948–49 seasons.
A member of the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Barker was a
B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
gunner and spent 16 months as a prisoner-of-war.
See also
Fabulous Five (Kentucky Wildcats) The Fabulous Five may refer to:
* Fabulous Five Inc., a Jamaican reggae band
* ''The Fabulous Five'' (book series), a series of novels for teenagers by American author Betsy Haynes
* The Fabulous 5, legendary 1970s New York City graffiti crew inc ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Cliff
1921 births
1998 deaths
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Indiana
Basketball players at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Basketball players from Indiana
Guards (basketball)
Indianapolis Olympians coaches
Indianapolis Olympians players
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players
Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Military personnel from Indiana
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball
People from Yorktown, Indiana
United States men's national basketball team players
Washington Capitols draft picks
United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
United States Army Air Forces soldiers
American prisoners of war in World War II