Bruce Harris was among the first Tech basketball players drafted by the NBA, following a four-year career which included a share of the 1956 Ohio Valley Conference championship under coach Johnny Oldham, Tech’s first OVC title on the hardwood.

Among team leaders in scoring and rebounding, Harris was selected as an honorable mention all-OVC player in 1956. He was named Tech’s Athlete of the Year as a Senior, but passed up a chance in professional basketball to embark upon a career in the U.S. Army. It was a good choice, as he went on to enjoy a decorated 33-year career and attain the rank of three-star general.

In 1983, Harris received the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award.