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John Baum, Temple basketball's all-time leading rebounder and captain of the 1969 NIT Championship team, is in his third year as Assistant Athletic Director for Major Gifts. Baum's appointment took him across North Broad Street from the University's Office of Development, where he had worked since 1985, recently serving as director of major gifts.
In 2003, Baum raised close to $1 million for the University through endowments and scholarships. He was also instrumental in establishing the John Chaney Endowed Scholarship Fund. Baum, a Big 5 Hall of Famer, is a familiar face and voice to Temple fans. The Philadelphia native completed his eighth season as color analyst on the Owls' men's basketball broadcasts in 2005-06. Baum graduated from Temple with an undergraduate degree in accounting. A three-time all-city selection, he was enshrined in the Temple University Hall of Fame in 1979.
Baum was drafted by teams in both the NBA, Chicago (second round) and ABA, Los Angeles (first round), respectively. He played in the NBA for three seasons with the Chicago Bulls (1969-72) before competing in the ABA for three years with New Jersey (1972-74) and Indiana (1974-75). Baum and teammate Rick Barry were instrumental with the Nets winning the 1973 ABA title.
