Richard Gratz played basketball at Bluffton. In 1948 and 1949 he led the team in scoring with a 12 and 14 point average.
He has been a teacher and coach at McGuffey and Harrod High Schools, a teacher at Lima Bath, teacher and counselor at Lima Central Jr. High and dean and assistant principal at Lima Senior.
He has also served as a high school basketball official since 1946. Since 1962 he has refereed high school basketball games during the regular season and at the regional or state level.
He participated in state basketball tourneys in 1940 and 1942 as a student at Bluffton High School.
According to Gratz, “sports have always been an important part of my life, but not the ultimate interest. Many friendships were acquired, many humorous happenings, and in retrospect many games were played with equipment and conditions which youth of today would rebel against. But it was a time of pulling together and learning about teamwork in a greater sense than perhaps today. They are now simply good memories.”
