Hall of Fame
Gunn, a Detroit native and graduate of Detroit Cass Tech, lettered in basketball four years at the City College of Detroit, as Wayne State was known then. Under WSU Hall of Fame Coach David L. Holmes, Gunn was a member of the 1925, 1926, 1927, and 1928 Griffin roundball teams. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously. Playing most of his career as a center, Gunn was one of Wayne State's earliest prolific scorers, finishing with 756 career points in an era when 600-career point scorers were very rare. He was the first WSU player ever to break the 750-point barrier. Gunn led the nation in scoring with 267 points in the 1927-28 season, leading Holmes' famous "Point A Minute Team" to an 18-1 overall record, best in Wayne State history. That squad also captured the University's first-ever conference championship, when WSU went 6-0 in the Michigan Collegiate Conference. Fellow teammate and captain of the 1927-28 team with Gunn was WSU Hall of Fame forward Myron "Susie" Schecter. Both Gunn and Schecter were named to the MCC All-Basketball First Team that season. Gunn also had captain honors during his WSU career, heading up the 1926-27 squad. Finishing with a team-leading 226 points, he was also named to the All-MCC First team that season. During his four years with Wayne State, Gunn never finished under 100 points in season scoring, netting 107 points his freshman season, 1924-25, as WSU went 7-10, and 156 points in 1925-26, as the Griffins finished with a 13-6 record. Under Gunn's captaincy his junior season, WSU recorded a 14-10 mark. The 1927-28 "Point A Minute Team" may have been undefeated that season, if it were not that Gunn had suffered a badly sprained ankle before playing Manhattan College in New York, NY, Wayne State's only blemish on their season record. Without Gunn in the line-up, Wayne State fell behind 31-19, with only three minutes remaining. Holmes knew he needed his top scorer in the game, so he asked Gunn if he could play, even with his injury. Gunn quickly got in, and scored the Griffins' last 11 points of the game, as the squad tried to rally from the deficit. But Manhattan proved to be a tough opponent, and claimed the only victory in 1927-28 over Wayne State 34-30. Gunn graduated from Wayne State's Medical School in 1933, and established a general practice in Standish, Mich., where he remained for nine years. Gunn then returned to medical school to receive his certification as a surgeon and anesthesiologist. Afterwards, he established a new practice in Bay City, Mich., remaining there for the rest of his life. An active outdoorsman and hunter, Gunn spent as much time in the wilderness as he possibly could. It was on a hunting trip near Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., when the plane he was a passenger on went down, in May 1961. Gunn and his wife Evelyn had one son, John, and one daughter, Ann.
