Norwich University

The late Arsenio R. "Sam" Fernandez was among the most versatile athletes to grace the Cadet playing fields, earning 9 letters in three varsity sports. A receiver on the football team, he played for the first time as a senior, catching the season's first TD pass and going on to become a leading pass catcher for the squad. He lettered four times in basketball, serving as team captain in his senior year while serving as freshman coach. Often the team's leading scorer he was its best defensive player as a ball-hawking guard. Sam is perhaps best remembered for his slick play on the baseball diamond around second base and his considerable power at the plate. A four-year letterman, he was a mainstay if "Stuffy" McGinnis' undefeated team of 1836, the only undefeated nine in NU annals. In 1937, he was team MVP.

Sam was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and was sports editor of The Guidon. A Dean's List student for all four years at Norwich, Sam attended Harvard Business School upon graduation. An Army Air Corps officer during World War II, he saw action in the South Pacific and finished his active duty as a major, returning to his family business in Northfield. He remained a constant booster of the University, often organizing reunions for the Class of '37. Sam was a touchstone for many alumni of his era, several of whom visited him during Homecoming, 1979, just two months before his death.