General | 6/26/2020 9:53:00 AM

Name: Art Bloomer
Sport: Football/Basketball/Men's Track & Field
Years: 1951-55
 
Art Bloomer lettered in football and basketball all four years and competed in track & field at Emporia State. Following his graduation he served 31 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, flying 330 combat missions over North and South Vietnam. He was awarded two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star with combat V (for valor), 17 Air Medals, the Republic of China Kuang Hua Medal and numerous other campaign medals. He rose to the rank of Brigadier General and in July 1984, General Bloomer became Commander of Marine Corps Air Bases, Western Area, and Commanding General, Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California. Bloomer was named an ESU Distinguished Alumni in 1985. He retired from the Corps in June 1986. Upon retirement from the USMC he served as the executive vice president of American Protective Services, was the executive director of the Orange County (Calif.) Regional Airport Authority, and chairman of the board of Ironhawk Technologies.

Why did you chose Emporia State?
Shorty Long recruited me, Fran Welch, Gus Fish and Keith Caywood were responsible for my success in Athletics. My faculty advisor Dr. S Winston Cram guided me in physics, while Dr. Peterson and Mr. Tucker in Mathematics were responsible for my success in Academics
 
What was your favorite memory as a student-athlete at Emporia State?
Conference Championships in Football in 1951 and 1952 and making 18 free throws and one FG in one basketball game.
 
What is your favorite non-sports memory from your days at ESU?
Meeting my wife of 65 years, Sue Vernon, and my fraternity days in Phi Sigma Epsilon
 
What is the greatest lesson you learned as a student athlete?
Don't ever quit.
 
What advice would you pass along to current student athletes?
There is a life after sports and athletics. Mine was spending 31 years in the United States Marine Corps, flying jet fighters and retiring as a Brigadier General and having several careers after the USMC and continuing to work until I was 80 years of age.