The real legacy that exists for Emil Messikomer and his 30-year career at West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University) is more than his accomplishments as a student-athlete. It is more than his success as a basketball and baseball coach. It is more than the Hall of Fame inductions he received in Basketball’s, Football’s, and Baseball’s respective Halls of Fame. It is the impact he made in the lives of West Chester students and athletes. The influence he had on West Chester goes far beyond his wins and losses. Emil Messikomer attended West Philadelphia High School, where he was an excellent athlete. Upon graduation, he moved on to West Chester State, where he excelled in basketball and baseball. He captained both teams his senior year, and was the leading scorer in basketball and leading hitter in baseball. In 1935, he graduated, and signed a contract with the Harrisburg Senators. He played briefly for the Senators. After graduation, Emil taught Physical Education and coached Basketball at Collingdale High School. He then was called and served in the Navy during World War II. After his service, he returned to Pennsylvania and taught for one year at Ursinus College before accepting a job at West Chester State to teach and coach. During his 30 years at West Chester, he taught, and was the Head Basketball Coach and the Assistant Baseball Coach. He later served as the Director of Undergraduate Programs at West Chester. During his 14-year tenure as the Head Basketball Coach, he had 11 winning seasons. His 1949-1950 team achieved a record of 17-2 - which remains the best seasonal record for the program. His 1955-1956 squad won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship. Emil was an assistant to legendary Baseball Coach Glenn Killinger - they were together for 30 years during a period when West Chester had one of the best college baseball programs in the country. The degree to which the West Chester community held Emil Messikomer can be seen in honors bestowed upon him upon his retirement from West Chester. He was honored with Professor Emeritus in 1990, and the University named the Admissions Building in his honor. He was an inaugural inductee into the West Chester Basketball Hall of Fame. That Hall of Fame was later renamed the Messikomer Hall of Fame. He is a member of WCU’s Baseball Hall of Fame, and was made an Honorary Member of the Killinger Football Hall of Fame. Emil Messikomer passed away in 1988 at the age of 77.