Columbia University Athletics

A New Yorker through and through, Heyward Dotson spent virtually his entire life in the Big Apple. From his upbringing in Staten Island, attending advanced-curriculum high school in Manhattan, enrolling at Columbia and later serving as a lawyer and a member of the City Council for many years beyond.
 
Standing at 6-4, Dotson played center throughout his high school career. At Columbia, with 7-footer and fellow 2018 Hall of Fame inductee David Newmark established in that role, he used the same intelligence and swagger that got him into an Ivy League institution onto the court and blossomed into a star.
 
His speed, passing, defense and competitive nature was a catalyst in Columbia’s run to the 1968 Ivy League Championship. Dotson finished his career third on career scoring list and is currently No. 9 at 1,266 points. He was also an extremely efficient player, shooting 54.2 percent from the floor for his career, setting a program record that stood for nine years and still ranks in the top-five.
 
In the classroom, Dotson also shined. Dotson was named to the Dean’s List during six of his semesters on Morningside Heights and turned down professional opportunities and attended Oxford University after earning a Rhodes Scholarship.
 
Dotson returned to the United States, tried out for the New York Knicks in 1972 and played two seasons professionally in the ABA and EBA from 1972-74 before beginning his legal career.