The Story Behind the Memory of Ron Logsdon

Every year, The Ronald O. Logsdon III Alumni Freshman Scholarship is awarded to an SSU student. And every year SSU hosts the Ron Logsdon Basketball Classic. The scholarship and the basketball tournament were established in memory of Ron Logsdon who had been a student at SSU and later worked on campus for almost 20 years. 

Marlene Ballaine, Emeritus Trustee of the Sonoma County Museum and a former SSU employee, recalls that “Ron was kind and generous and loved Sonoma State. The students and his friends on campus were an important part of his life. He won everybody over with a twinkle in his eye and everybody loved him.  He especially loved sports and was supportive of all the men’s and women’s teams.  He loved music, opera and ballet but was also very down to earth. He was a fun guy to be with.”

Those who worked with him say that Ron was a truly unique and giving individual who gave much of his life to Sonoma State University. He had received his B.A. in History in 1968 and after working as a teacher and a political aide in the California State Senate, he enlisted and served in the Army and received the Bronze Star and the Vietnam Service Medal for his bravery in Vietnam. He had returned to SSU in 1973 to pursue an M.A. in Counseling when he was hired as the Executive Director of the SSU Student Union. 

After one year in that position, he began working in the Career Center where he was a mentor to the numerous students who worked in the Center. He was a program developer in the Career Center for 18 years. In addition, he was an avid supporter of the SSU basketball program and a positive influence on many of the players over the years.  In 1973 he was elected to the Alumni Association Board of Directors and gave an enormous amount of time and energy to assist with the Association's operations. He became the Board president in 1998 and helped strengthen the connection between the Association and the University.  

Ron passed away in December 1999 after a four-year battle with HIV AIDS. To honor him, Basketball Coach Pat Fuscaldo established the annual Ron Logsdon Basketball Classic.  "Ron was my good friend and he was an inspiration to all of us," says Fuscaldo. "It was an honor to name the tournament in his memory. I miss his friendship, his strength his courage and his smile. The tournament is a way of keeping his memory alive in our hearts and in our thoughts, and I think he would be delighted to know that his legacy will be preserved through this tournament."

This year’s December 7–8 tournament features teams from Chaminade University of Honolulu, Humboldt State University, and Notre Dame de Namur University. Faculty and staff especially are encouraged to attend this year and to make a donation to honor Logsdon’s memory. Donations whould be made payable to SSU Athletics with a notation for the Ron Logsdon Basketball Classic. Visit www.sonomaseawolves.com for more information.