Meritorious Service
Nearly 30 years after he first was handed a basketball scorebook and asked to keep track of fouls and timeouts, 1980 Linfield graduate and Hall of Fame inductee Tom McFadden still enjoys contributing his time, knowledge and skills in service to Wildcat athletic programs.
Volunteering simply “for the love of the sports and the programs,” McFadden has faithfully served the college’s men’s basketball program as head scorekeeper since 1988 and has been a primary member of the football statistics crew since 1994.
“Linfield College has meant a lot to me, not only as a student but as an alumnus,” he said. “Linfield has a special culture surrounding its athletics programs. We expect excellence on the field while remaining a non-scholarship program. I take a tremendous amount of pride in the fact that Linfield has true ‘student-athletes’ who use athletics as a means to prepare themselves for life.”
His early experiences at the basketball scorer’s table and in the football pressbox began as a student in 1976, when he assisted student sports information directors Phil Bond and Jon Enyart. At the time, he also dabbled in sports broadcasting, providing color commentary alongside play-by-play man Steve Arena.
“Supporting Linfield has always been easy,” says McFadden. “The teams have always been successful and that made it fun. In the process of being involved, I’ve had the chance to build lasting relationships with coaches and athletes.”
After graduating with a degree in accounting in 1980, McFadden and his wife, Becky, moved to Portland where they began building their own tax preparation business. Eventually, the McFaddens relocated back to McMinnville though Tom remained simply “a fan” of Linfield sports in the years following.
A decade removed from his student statskeeping days, a chance meeting with then-sports information director Chuck Charnquist at a Partners-in-Progress luncheon reconnected McFadden with the operational side of the Linfield athletic programs.
Inspired by Charnquist’s suggestion and encouraged by basketball coach Larry Doty, McFadden became the Wildcats’ official scorer, a volunteer position he maintains to this day.
Five years later, he joined the Linfield football statistics crew, bringing an acute understanding of football rules to the position. He’s missed keeping stats at just two home football games since 1994. One absence was for the marriage of his eldest daughter, Jessica, no less.
It goes without saying that McFadden is among the most skilled and experienced small-college statisticians in the Northwest. He further applies his understanding of the game of football as a high school referee with the Salem Officials Association.
“Tom has the special gift to be able to view the entire field all at once and see all the moving pieces. He can instantly recall what happened three plays ago, three games ago, or even what took place 15 years ago,” said current SID Kelly Bird. “Linfield is so fortunate to have someone as devoted, knowledgeable, and easy to work with as Tom. He’s a gem.”
For all the countless games he has worked, McFadden has never expected any compensation from the athletic department in return.
“I would rather see those dollars used to help pay for something to benefit our teams. I recognize that Linfield is a small college with limited resources. I donate my time to the college because I love Linfield and keeping stats has become kind of a hobby.”
McFadden’s unwavering commitment to Linfield Athletics is felt in other meaningful ways as well. He is a regular donor to the TopCat Club, annually signs up for a print advertisement in football and basketball game programs, and volunteers to assist operations at the Wildcat Open golf tournament each summer.
McFadden’s induction into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame is not the first honor the college has presented him. In 2002, he received the Alumni Service Award.
