Rarely do athletes star in all three of the major men’s sports. A standout player for the Cardinals in baseball, football, and basketball, Joe Barry Morningstar ’39 was the exception.
Joe’s father, Percy Morningstar ’17, had preceded him at Wesleyan, as had two uncles. Joe became a government major, a DKE brother, and a member of Skull and Serpent. As an athlete, classmates noted, he was “graceful, confident, and powerfully competitive.”
During his Wesleyan career Joe earned 8 varsity letters: 3 in baseball, 2 in football and 3 in basketball. On the baseball field he was a strong hitter and talented centerfielder. An end on the football team, he played both offense and defense and was a fine receiver. In 1938 he was named All-Little Three. The following year, he was All-Little Three and All-New England in basketball and captained the Wesleyan team. He graduated as the career basketball scoring leader.
Quick to enlist after Pearl Harbor, Joe served as an Air Force officer in the Southwest Pacific and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters. Joe then spent his professional career in the chemical industry.
In 1965 longtime Cardinals coach Norm Daniels named Joe Morningstar to his all-time Wes football team. Continuing the family legacy, Joe’s son Bruce arrived with the Class of ’67. In total, the Morningstar family can count seven Wesleyan alumni.
Joe died in February 1969. That May his class celebrated their 30th anniversary, and Joe missed Reunion for the first time. Honoring his achievements, each year Wesleyan recognizes the outstanding men’s basketball player with the Joe Barry Morningstar ’39 Award, recognizing “sportsmanship, determination, leadership and unselfishness.”
