Michael Joseph Kearns ’51

Mike was born June 18, 1929. He graduated from Trenton Central High School, where his legendary basketball career started.  

At Princeton he served as captain of the freshman team, and under Coach Cappy Cappon, he went on to be a member of the varsity team that won the Ivy League championship in 1949-50. He was captain of the varsity basketball team during his senior year and was co-recipient of the B.F. Bunn Trophy in 1950 and sole recipient in 1951. He also starred in varsity baseball, and later in life he was an avid golfer.

At Princeton, Mike majored in mechanical engineering and was a member of the Varsity Club, Tiger Inn, and ASME. He roomed with Ed Reed and Ralph VanDemark. After his Army service he played briefly for the Philadelphia Warriors’ NBA team prior to working as an engineer for the city of Trenton.

Starting in 1963, he taught mathematics at Trenton Central High School for 30 years. In 1964 he married Beverly Bronson.  

Mike died Jan. 31, 2009, of kidney failure. He is survived by Beverly and their children, Michael Jr. and his wife, Tammy, Edward (“Ted”), and Cynthia Sutton; and grandchildren Sarah, Joseph, and Emily.