A current member of the influential NCAA Council, R. Bruce Allison, athletic director at the Colorado School of Mines since 1976, has played an instrumental role in the development of intercollegiate lacrosse in the United States. As chairman of the NCAA Lacrosse Rules Committee from 1970 to 1974, Allison, an honorable mention All-American lacrosse player at Cortland in the early 1950's, developed the format for the first NCAA lacrosse championship and helped initiate the first College Division tournament. In addition, Allison has continued to assist the major lacrosse governing organization - the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) - as president, vice-president and treasurer. Allison has also been president, vice-president and secretary-treasurer for the United States Lacrosse Coaches Association.
When Allison moved to Colorado 12 years ago, he brought an enthusiasm for the sport of lacrosse to the region. He helped to establish and was first president of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Foundation Chapter. Allison has chaired the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League and has presided over the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Association.
A native of Penn Yan, N.Y., Allison attended the University of Rochester for a year before entering the United States Marine Corps in 1948. At Camp Lejeune, N.C. Allison coached football linemen and the women's basketball team. In 1952, Allison enrolled as a Cortland undergraduate. That autumn, he helped coach the freshman football line and, the following spring, was a student lacrosse coach. In 1956, Allison directed the varsity football linemen. As a player, he earned two football letters and, in lacrosse, was a three-time letterman, the Red Letter Award winner and two-time All-American mention. Allison, a Beta Phi Epsilon fraternity member, graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in physical education from Cortland in 1956. He earned a master's degree a year later.
During the 1956-57 academic year, Allison coached football, basketball, volleyball and baseball at Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar, N.Y. He then began 19 years of service at Union College. He coached lacrosse all 19 seasons, was wrestling coach for 11 seasons, assistant football coach for 15 years, and the athletic director his last four years there. Since 1976, Allison has been director of athletics, head lacrosse coach and a professor in the Physical Education Department at the Colorado School of Mines.
Bruce and his wife, Ann, have two children: Nancy and Tom.
UPDATE: Allison passed away on December 21, 2013 at age 83.
