PHOTO GALLERY David A. Beckerman was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame with the "Alumni Award of Excellence," in recognition of his many years of philanthropy and leadership at UNH and throughout the Greater New Haven community. The founder and former CEO of Starter Corporation, which grew to be a leader in the sports apparel industry and reached sales of $700 million, Beckerman has continued to give generously since his graduation from UNH in 1966.
Currently the Chairman of Acorn Group, he served on the UNH Board of Governors from 1993 to 2004, and was the Chair of the Athletics Committee. Beckerman has been a major catalyst in elevating the Department of Athletics’ fundraising efforts through the annual Charger Classic and Summer Breeze fundraisers. In addition, the Beckerman Foundation has endowed athletic scholarships at UNH. He spearheaded the renovation of the Robert B. Dodds Stadium seating, and most recently, through the generosity of the Beckerman Family, UNH is home to the David A. Beckerman Recreation Center, a 56,500 square foot recreation center that opened in December 2007.
Beckerman’s love of sports is evident in not only his work at UNH, but in the community as well. He serves as a Trustee for the Basketball Hall of Fame and is a longtime, successful high school basketball coach. David, who splits his time between Connecticut and Florida, helped Pine Crest High School reach the Florida high school Class 3A Final Four for the first time in 46 years. The Panthers won 23 games and Beckerman was named Broward County Coach of the Year. After leaving Pine Crest in 2015, Beckerman returned to Connecticut and Hamden Hall as the head coach after previously leading the Hornets to eight New England Championships and six Fairchester League titles. In January of 2016, Beckerman joined an elite group as he earned his milestone, 500th career victory.
Additionally he has been honored in the world of professional sports on numerous occasions, and has received state and local recognition for his work with civic associations and his community service to the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven and the YMCA. A graduate of Hillhouse High School in New Haven, David holds a business degree and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of New Haven and has been the recipient of the UNH Outstanding Service commendation.
