Jack Heise Was “Mr. Maryland”

It’s bitterly ironic that in the midst of struggle for Maryland football and basketball, UM’s biggest athletic booster and personal advocate of Ralph Friedgen and Gary Williams has died.

Jack Heise, a Baltimore native and longtime attorney, died Monday night at the age of 84. He had been an ardent supporter of Terrapin athletics since his graduation from College Park in 1947.

Nobody hits harder at Maryland than I do, and it's because they are the single biggest representation of college sports in the entire state. With their vast resources, media exposure, and coaching talent, Maryland should be a much more successful program than they have been in recent seasons.

But nobody was more dedicated than this guy. Good, bad, and everything in between, Heise wasn’t above encouraging coaches with weekly handwritten letters and wasn’t below attending more games and practices for teams other than football and basketball.

Maryland will probably never disclose how much Heise helped the program financially, but the measure of his life and his commitment to his alma mater is probably immeasurable.

Everyone who loves their school should aspire to equal his dedication to his former school.

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