Hall of Fame
Prime, a native of Detroit and graduate of Detroit Mumford HS, only played two years on Wayne State's men's basketball and men's track and field teams, but left his mark in both sports. Prime joined Wayne as a transfer from the Detroit Institute of Technology, where he played one year of basketball in 1958-58. After sitting out one year, he lettered twice at Wayne in basketball, 1960-61 and 1961-62, and twice in track, in the 1961 and 1962 seasons. An outstanding forward in basketball, Prime let the Tartars in scoring both years, with 374 points in 1961 and 414 in 1962. He also led his senior squad in rebounding with 123. His 21.9 career scoring average was a new Wayne State record, and still ranks him second on the career list behind Athletic Hall of Fame member Robert Solomon's (1971-73) 23.4 career average. During Prime's career Wayne State belonged to the Presidents Athletic Conference, and set three PAC records. He had the Most Field Goals Made per Game, averaging 10.9, Most Field Goal Attempts in One Game, 36 against Washington and Jefferson, and Most Field Goal Attempts in Season, with 278. All three records were set in the 1961-62 season. Prime also led the PAC in scoring and made field goals both seasons, with a 23.0 average and 97 field goals made in 1960-61, and a 25.0 average and 109 made in 1961-62. He was named to the All-PAC First Team both years. Playing for Athletic Hall of Fame coach Joel Mason, Prime earned the team's Fred M. Fisher Most Valuable Player Award both seasons, and was a tri-captain of his senior squad. In track, Prime ran the High and Low Hurdles, High Jump and Pole Vault. He won the 1961 PAC High Jump title with a 6'-1 1/2" mark. His best high jump mark as a collegian was 6'-2" against Western Michigan in 1962. Upon finishing his Wayne State athletic career Prime was drafted by the NBA's Detroit Pistons. Though he played several exhibition contests with the Pistons, Prime spent the 1962-63 season with the team's farm club, the Grand Rapids Trackers. Prime received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Wayne State in 1962, and in 1963 joined the Detroit Public School system, working as a teacher at Keatting Elementary, Moore School for Boys, and Webber Junior High School until 1966. He then joined the Alexander Hamilton Life Insurance Company as regional director, serving until 1972. He then founded the Fred Prime & Associates Insurance Agency, serving as president until 1974. Prime has also worked for several other insurance companies over the past 15 years. Since 1983 Prime has been owner and president of Fred Prime Associates, Inc., a financial consulting and investment banking firm. Prime was also a founder and former director of marketing for the Michigan Health Maintenance Organization Plans, Inc., from 1974-79. Prime has long been involved in Democratic politics in the Detroit area, once running for the Detroit City Council. In 1976, he was deputy state coordinator for the state of Michigan of the Carter/Mondale for President campaign. He is also involved in the NAACP as a lifetime member, the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, and has served as a Boy Scout advisor for several years. During his high school years at Detroit Mumford, Prime was a three-sport star in swimming, track, and basketball, earning all-city honors in all three sports. Prime resides in Detroit, and is the father of three children, Krystal Lyn, Fred III and Leslie Ruty.
