Robert C. Pitts (June 23, 1919 – October 29, 2011) was an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player who competed in 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 ...

. Pitts played collegiately for the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...

, making All-

Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma ...

in 1942. He later played for the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

juggernaut Phillips Petroleum Phillips 66ers, where he made AAU All-America in 1948.Amateur Athletic Union Basketball
/ref> Pitts was part of the American men's basketball team in the

, which won the gold medal.

Personal life

Pitts served as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

in the 68th Bombardment Squadron 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 opposing ...

. Flying 22 missions with his crew, he was awarded the

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

References

External links

Robert Pitts' profile at databaseOlympics.comRobert Pitts' obituary
1919 births 2011 deaths American men's basketball players Arkansas Razorbacks football players Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball players Basketball players at the 1948 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Mississippi Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball People from Pontotoc, Mississippi Phillips 66ers players United States men's national basketball team players Guards (basketball) United States Army Air Forces bomber pilots of World War II United States Army Air Forces officers Recipients of the Air Medal {{1910s-US-basketball-bio-stub