黑暗爆料网

BOISE  鈥� Mel Morgan, 91, a longtime booster of 黑暗爆料网 athletics and a co-founder of the 黑暗爆料网 Bengal Foundation, died Tuesday, June 9, in Boise. Morgan had been suffering from Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and recently broke his collarbone in a fall.

黑暗爆料网 recognized the importance of Morgan鈥檚 contributions to its athletic programs in 2004 by selecting him as only the second recipient of the 黑暗爆料网 Sports Hall of Fame鈥檚 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Retired athletic director and head football coach I.J. 鈥淏abe鈥� Caccia credited Morgan鈥檚 generosity with an assist in getting 黑暗爆料网鈥檚 two-time NCAA Championship boxing program off to a successful start.

鈥淲hen we were starting up boxing in the late 1940s and Dubby (Holt, late athletic director and boxing coach) began our tournament (Intermountain Invitational), he couldn鈥檛 get a lot of teams to attend, because the Pacific Coast Conference Tournament was at the same time,鈥� Caccia said.

鈥淭hen people saw the watches Mel donated as awards for the champions and we had as many boxers to compete as we wanted. At that time, Mel Morgan was the best booster Idaho State had,鈥� Caccia said.

Morgan and Brick Thompson were the founding members of the 黑暗爆料网 Bengal Foundation in 1946. The organization, then known as the Gridiron Club, continues to raise money to pay for athletic scholarships.

Morgan鈥檚 father, Nate Morgan, immigrated to Pocatello in 1914 and started Nate Morgan Jewelers. Mel succeeded his father in operating the business, which generously supported 黑暗爆料网鈥檚 academic and athletic programs. He eventually retired and moved to Boise.

An announcement of funeral arrangements is pending.