In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of Dick Boushka. From its origins to its evolution today, this topic has been the subject of constant interest by researchers, academics and enthusiasts. Dick Boushka has impacted various areas of society in multiple ways, from politics and economics to popular culture and entertainment. Along these lines, we will delve into the different aspects that make Dick Boushka such a relevant topic today and its role in shaping the contemporary world.
![]() Boushka in 1955. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Springfield, Illinois, U.S. | July 29, 1934||||||||||||||||||||
Died | February 19, 2019 Port St. Lucie, Florida, U.S. | (aged 84)||||||||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 209 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
High school | Campion (Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin) | ||||||||||||||||||||
College | Saint Louis (1951–1955) | ||||||||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 1955: 3rd round, 20th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drafted by | Minneapolis Lakers | ||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Richard James Boushka (July 29, 1934 – February 19, 2019) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. Born in Springfield, Illinois, Boushka played collegiately at Saint Louis University.
Boushka won a gold medal with the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. Stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, he won an AUA championship with the Air Force All Stars in 1957.[1] He was a member of the American team in the 1959 Pan American Games and was a standout player for the Wichita (Kansas) Vickers of the AAU. Boushka eventually became the president of team sponsor Vickers Petroleum.[2][3] Boushka was named to the Saint Louis Billikens All Century Team. He was on the team with other Saint Louis players such as Jordair Jett, Anthony Bonner, and Larry Hughes.
After parimutuel gambling was legalized in Kansas in 1986, Boushka approached RD Hubbard with the idea of a greyhound track. The Los Angeles Times wrote that they planned on building a "combined horse-dog complex, and now Kansas has a $70-million facility , the two tracks sharing a joint parking lot." According to Hubbard, "if we didn't do what we did, the greyhounds and the horses would have wound up competing against one another in the same market. It was a better idea getting the two industries to work together."[4] In Kansas City, they funded the construction and opening of The Woodlands racing park in 1989.[5] Built to serve as both a greyhound track and later as a horse racing track, the venue was the first legal gambling outlet in the area since the 1930s, and in its second year attendance peaked at 1.7 million attendees.[6]
Boushka died on February 19, 2019.[7]
vickers petroleum.