Old Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

The Derek Smith Gymnasium at Spalding University

Home of Tomorrow's Champions

— Derek E. Smith, November 1, 1961 - August 9, 1996 —

The Derek Smith Gymnasium at Spalding University Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Shane Oliver, July 26, 2021

1. The Derek Smith Gymnasium at Spalding University Marker

Inscription.
Remembering the life and legacy of the lake Derek Smith, Spalding University has named the campus gymnasium in honor of this wonderful man. Derek, a member of UDFL's 1980 NCAA Championship Team and a nine-year NBA star, held his first high school basketball camp in this gym, also the site where a young Muhammad Ali first learned to box.

Derek's love for life is continued at this facility with a special emphasis on serving at-risk kids in the Louisville area and making education the expectation rather than the exception.

Home to the Spalding University men's and women's basketball programs, as well as the women's volleyball program, the Derek Smith Gymnasium is touching the lives of a multitude of young people just as Derek touched the lives of so many.

Erected by Spaulding University.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1980.

Location. 38° 14.579′ N, 85° 45.547′ W. Marker is in Louisville, Kentucky, in Jefferson County. It is in Old Louisville. It is on South 4th Street 0.1 miles south of York Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 824 S 4th St, Louisville KY 40203, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Ohio River Valley.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Columbia Gym (within shouting distance of this marker); Calvary Episcopal Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Immanuel Baptist Church / First Christian-Lampton Baptist (within shouting distance of this marker); Presentation Academy (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dr. J.B. Marvin House (about 400 feet away); First Unitarian Church (about 400 feet away); Thierman Apartments (about 500 feet away); Murray Atkins Walls (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Louisville.

Photographed by Kevin W., August 26, 2024

2. The Derek Smith Gymnasium at Spalding University Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on August 26, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 8, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 484 times since then and 17 times this year. Last updated on August 20, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on August 5, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. 2. submitted on August 26, 2024, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.