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May 26, 2007 -- In a ceremony held last night at the Jesse Philips Physical Education Center, five former Yeomen and Yeowomen were inducted into the John W. Heisman Club's Athletics Hall of Fame. Robert Palmer '53, Don Drucker '61, Pam Breitbeil '92, Moustapha Diop '92, and Ousmane Diop '94 each became members of an elite club of exceptional contributors to the College and the athletics department. George Smith '87, a bureau reporter for ESPN and member of the Heisman Club Hall of Fame, served as the master of ceremonies for the event.
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Robert Palmer '53
Robert H. Palmer earned three letters in both soccer and lacrosse at Oberlin College and also competed on the freshman basketball team and club fencing squad. While he served as a team co-captain for the lacrosse squad his senior season and was a key player for the Yeomen, Palmer truly excelled in soccer. He was a three-time All-American, earning first team honors in 1951, second team accolades in 1952 and second place honorable mention distinction in 1950. Palmer was also named first team All-Midwest in each of his three seasons for the soccer team, and the Yeomen went a combined 24-1-2 those three years. He received a bachelor's degree in pre-medicine from Oberlin in 1953 and later went on to earn a medical degree from Harvard University.
As a student at Oberlin, Palmer was active in the Musical Union and First Church Choir. More recently, Palmer served on the Gift Committee for his 50th reunion. Additionally, he is a member of the New Amsterdam Singers in New York.
An author of over 100 professional publications, Palmer served as a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, Rockefeller University, and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He remains active in medicine, working in the pharmaceutical industry since 1985. Palmer and his wife, Jessie, reside in New York City, and they have two children, Thomas and Elisabeth.
Don Drucker '61
Donald S. Drucker was an integral part of the success of three teams – football, basketball, and lacrosse – during his four years at Oberlin College. He earned 12 letters as the team manager of the three sports, helping the Yeomen achieve impressive team records from 1957 to 1961. Drucker helped lead the lacrosse squad to a remarkable 39-5-1 record in four spring seasons, while he helped guide the basketball team to a 49-24 mark in a four-year span. Additionally, Drucker and the football team notched 12 wins during his tenure at the College. He graduated from Oberlin with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1961.
A long-time information technology specialist, Drucker has held positions in human resources and technology senior management at companies such as IBM, Fairchild Semiconductor, and Advanced Micro Devices. He is active in a number of professional and community organizations. Drucker is a charter member and officer for the Human Resource Systems Professionals. Additionally, he works as a volunteer for Cat Rescue. Drucker and his wife, Diane, reside in Cupertino, California, and they have one daughter, Donna Joy.
Pamela M. Breitbeil '92
Pamela M. Breitbeil was a four-year standout letter winner for the Oberlin College volleyball program and also competed with the lacrosse team for a season. She was the first volleyball player in school history to be named first team All-North Coast Athletic Conference and was named all-league all four years of her career for the Yeowomen. For her efforts in leading Oberlin to its all-time best team record in conference play and for her numerous achievements on the volleyball court, Breitbeil was named to the NCAC's All-Decade Team. She established and still maintains the school record for the most kills in one season. A 1993 graduate of Oberlin, Breitbeil earned a bachelor's degree in studio art and art history.
While at Oberlin, Breitbeil was active in the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association and taught women’s weight training as an exco class. She also worked as an education assistant and film coordinator for the Allen Art Museum.
Breitbeil is an accomplished visual and performance artist, having earned the Young Artist Award of Cincinnati, Ohio. She was awarded a full scholarship to the Marchutz School of Art in Aix-en-Provence, France, and her choreography was selected for American College's Dance Festival Concert. Additionally, she has worked in the non-profit sector with the Tibetan Resettlement Project and has also done significant work for the Orangutan Foundation.
Moustapha Diop '92
Moustapha Diop is one of the most decorated tennis players in Oberlin College history. A two-time All-American, Diop received the national honors in 1991 and 1992. He was named to the North Coast Athletic Conference's All-Decade Team for his efforts from 1989 to 1992. Additionally, Diop received All-NCAC singles and doubles accolades after all four of his seasons for the Yeomen. In Senegal, he was a member of the Davis Cup.
Since graduating from Oberlin with a bachelor's degree in physics and French literature in 1992, Diop has already gone on to an extremely successful business career. He earned a master's degree in operations management from Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management in 1999 and has traveled across the globe for operations positions with Bayer Diagnostics, NeuroControl, and Invacare Corporation. In his position for NeuroControl, Diop directed European sales and marketing operations in Belgium, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Scotland, Denmark, and Sweden. Invacare is the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of home medical equipment. Currently, Diop serves as the chief operating officer of Synapse Biomedical, Inc. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Lorain County Chapter of the Red Cross.
Ousmane Diop '94
Ousmane Diop starred in tennis at Oberlin, leaving the College as one of the top players in the program's long history. A four-year letter winner for the Yeomen, he was named All-American in 1993 and was a four-time selection to the All-North Coast Athletic Conference squad.
An outstanding player in both singles and doubles, his efforts in the latter earned him a spot on the NCAC's All-Decade Team. He teamed up with fellow Heisman Hall of Fame Member Carl Erikson ‘94 to absolutely dominate the doubles competition during his tenure at Oberlin. In doubles, he was ranked 13th and 6th during his junior and senior seasons, respectively, by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Diop earned a bachelor's degree in French and mathematics from Oberlin in 1994. He later went on to earn a master's degree in education from Harvard University.
Diop has been a French teacher at the Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, since 1994. In addition to his teaching duties, he has coached varsity tennis for 14 years and has led the soccer program for 13 seasons. Diop and his wife, Julie, reside in Roslindale, Massachusetts, with their two children, Eric and Sophie.
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