“Prof” Berky coached men’s tennis
for more than three decades.
Herbert W. Berky joined Bluffton’s faculty in 1913 to establish the college’s first chemistry program. A Princeton University graduate, Berky arrived with a strong belief in the value of a collegiate experience that combined academic excellence with intercollegiate athletics.
In his early years at Bluffton “Prof. Berky” coached a number of sports including, in 1921-22, football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball. He was instrumental in developing Bluffton’s first athletic facilities including the 1916 fundraising campaign to construct “the Barn,” home to basketball and campus events.
In athletics, Berky is best known for coaching men’s tennis for more than three decades and faithfully maintaining the clay courts that were a campus landmark for many years. His 45 year tenure included substantial contributions to athletics and science as indicated by the naming of Berky Science Hall.