Earl Higgins - Athletic Alumni 2004

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Earle began his basketball career at Ann Arbor High School and was an integral part of his team's success, which included a runner-up finish (in over time) in the 1966 State Class A Championship final game. This success resulted in Earle's being selected to several All-State squads and McDonald's High School All-American team.  Following graduation from Ann Arbor in 1966, Earle enrolled at Casper (Wyoming) Junior College, where, as a freshman, he was named a Junior College All-American. During the summer of 1967, Higgins transferred to Eastern Michigan University, where he became a 3-year letter winner and starter.  In 1968, Earle was the only player from the state of Michigan invited to try out for the U.S. Olympic basketball team. In 1970, Higgins was drafted in the first round by the San Francisco Warriors and the Indiana Pacers, playing for the NBA Pacers two years.

 

At this point, Earle transitioned from basketball to the world of business, earning his degree in Business from EMU and beginning a thirty-three career with Chrysler Corporation (now Daimler-Chrysler), climbing rapidly up the ladder if managerial responsibility.  Higgins' roles with Chrysler included superintendent of North American Operations and Manager of Supplier Diversity. As on the basketball court, Earle remained committed to leadership, innovation, teamwork, date analysis and achievement of bottom-line results. 

In 1999, Higgins retired from Daimler-Chrysler and joined JHT Holdings, Inc. as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.  In his present position, as in those past, Earle's passion is to exceed customer expectations through a consistent and disciplined review of all sales and marketing operations throughout his company. 

Outside of the work environment, Earle is an active member of the NBA Retired Players Association, a 1997 inductee in the EMU Sports Hall of Fame, president of a free tutoring and counseling service for youth in the Detroit metro area and member of several community non-profit boards.