Ralph Saunders, a prolific scorer, started all four years for Clark’s basketball team and served as a team captain his junior and senior seasons. Upon entering Clark, Saunders received the Whitman scholarship, which was awarded to a basketball player with outstanding ability and to an individual that would make a significant contribution to Clark Athletics.
In his rookie season, he set a school record for points in a season, scoring 199 points and averaging 12.4 points per game and was named to the All-City Team. Saunders had an outstanding sophomore season and became one of the most potent offensive players in the city, averaging 17.4 points per game which was the highest average in the Worcester area.
He was named to the All-City team for the second time in 1952. In his last two years, he averaged 16.9 points per game and scored 608 points. Saunders became Clark’s first 1,000th point scorer, finishing his career with 1,086 points in 68 games.
Saunders graduated magna cum laude receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in business. After serving in the U.S. Army in Schweinfurt, Germany from 1954-1956, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from Clark in 1957.
Saunders stayed active in sports serving as an official for United States Swimming and as an umpire for Shrewsbury Little League. An active member of the community, he directed the Central Massachusetts Council of Campfire. He worked as a senior vice president and chief lending officer at Home Federal Savings Bank in Worcester until his death in June of 1987.
He was survived by his wife Susan. His children include Pamela Sklut, Deborah Walsh, Christine Besaw, Jennifer Saunders, Heather Saunders, and Matthew Saunders who accepted on his behalf.
