VILLANOVA, Pa. – The family of legendary Villanovan George Raveling announced that he passed away on Sept. 1 at the age of 88 following a battle with cancer.
 
Raveling, a native of Washington, D.C., played basketball for the Wildcats and head coach Alexander Severance from 1957-1960. His 835 career rebounds – amassed in just three varsity seasons – still rank 13^th on the program's all-time carom list. He later became an assistant to Head Coach Jack Kraft, launching a career that would take him to head coaching stops at Washington State, Iowa, and USC. In 2015, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater the following year.
 
Raveling was on stage in 1963 for "The March on Washington" working as event security, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., handed him the original copy of the speech that would come to be known as the "I Have a Dream" speech shortly after delivering it.
 
In 2021, Coach Raveling chose Villanova University to become the next steward of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech —entrusting Villanova to provide broad access to all those who seek to learn from and be inspired by Dr. King's words. As such, the University collaborated with The Smithsonian and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. to establish an exclusive, long-term "on loan" arrangement.
 
Villanova University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD: "George Raveling was a Villanovan in the truest sense of the word. He left a significant mark on Villanova University and the sport of basketball. He chose Villanova to be the steward of Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, broke down racial barriers as a coach, and became a well-respected and admired figure amongst his professional and personal peers. George will be missed, and our prayers are with the entire Raveling family."
 
Villanova William B. Finneran Endowed Head Men's Basketball Coach Kevin Willard: "Our entire basketball family is saddened to learn of Coach Raveling's passing. While I am new to Villanova, I have long appreciated the enormous impact Coach has made not just on our game, but on so many of us in it. I know Villanova held a special place in his heart and we are forever grateful for his contributions to this program."
 
Villanova Special Assistant to the President and Former Head Coach Jay Wright: "Coach Raveling was a mentor to me and everyone in our Villanova Basketball Family. He was one of the most loyal and grateful Villanova alums of all time."