| Overall UK Wins: 1 | Overall UK Losses: 0 | Win % 100 |
Date of Birth: March 24, 1913
Date of Death: November 25, 2000
Hometown: Oshkosh, WI
For a generalized listing of officials, please consult this page.
| Date | Matchup | W/L | Score | UK Fouls | Opp Fouls | UK FTA | Opp FTA | UK DQ | Opp DQ | Technicals | Officiating Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/28/1963 | Kentucky vs. Notre Dame | W | 101 - 81 | 15 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 1 | 0 | - | Charlie Bloodworth and Richard Lowell |
Obituary - Oshkosh Northwestern (November 27, 2000)
Former Referee Known as Fair Player
by Doug Zellmer
Ralph Larson knew he'd get a fair game when Richard "Bud" Lowell took a whistle onto the high school basketball court.
"Bud was a good official, no question about that," said Larson, retired as head coach of the Winneconne High School varsity boys basketball team. "He enjoyed being around kids and had a love for what he was doing."
Lowell, 87, a well-respected sports referee for nearly 50 years, died Saturday at Bethel Home in Oshkosh.
Larson said there wasn't much that would get past Lowell.
"When I would question a call there was always a grin on his face and he'd say that's the way it is coach," said Larson, who remembers Lowell refereeing games in the old Little Nine Conference. "He had a way of diffusing situations. You couldn't get mad as a coach."
Larson said he could expect a very fair game when Lowell officiated a basketball contest.
"He would let the kids know what he would expect of them and what he wouldn't." Larson said, "He was a very gracious individual and certainly was a real credit to the game."
Lowell had a long and distinguished career. He was a sports referee for 48 years, retiring at age 66.
His credentials include refereeing the prestigious Rose Bowl football game in 1969 between the University of Southern California and Ohio State. He also officiated professional basketball from 1938 to 1950 and Big Ten basketball from 1951 to 1971.
In 1985, Lowell was inducted into the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame. In September of this year, Lowell was inducted into the Oshkosh Softball Hall of Fame.
Chet Polka, a former Berlin High School boys basketball coach has fond memories of Lowell when he refereed games during the 1950s.
"He was class all the way and an excellent official," Polka said. "He was one of the best."
Polka recalled seeing Lowell at a restaurant in Oshkosh several years ago. He said Lowell looked up and shook his hand after recognizing him.
"Of all the people he had met and worked with he remembered my name," Polka said. "We had a nice little chat and we reflected on some of the officiating days and our association. He was just one special person."
When he wasn't officiating sports, Lowell had a long and productive career in law enforcement. He served with the city of Oshkosh Police Department from 1936 to 1960, and was with the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department from 1960 to 1964, serving as sheriff during that time.
Ken Hetue, who worked with Lowell at the sheriff's department, said Lowell could be strict, but also showed kindness.
"He was a very friendly person, but was also strict when he was with the sheriff's department. If you were the sheriff, you had to be," Hetue said. "But he also had a heart. He could be lenient too, in many respects. He was a wonderful man."
