When discussing some of the greatest players in the early years of Suffolk University men’s basketball, Arthur “Archie” Mellace has to be near the top of the list.

A 6-foot-2-inch, 185-pound forward, Mellace was an all-purpose player who could score with the best of them, filling the basket from both inside and outside (he was well known for his precise, one-handed set shot).

He led Suffolk to a pair of winning seasons, including an overall record of 12-5 as a sharpshooting senior. With him on the court, the local quintet was always a competitive team.

During the 1955-56 season, Mellace, a sophomore, averaged 20.7 points per game for the Lawmen, as they were called back then. He scored a team-high 19 points in a 71-57 road win against MIT in the season-opener, considered a major upset in local basketball circles.

Head coach Charles Law, a member of the first class inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, described the victory, according to the Suffolk Journal, as “Suffolk’s top athletic triumph” of its era.

Mellace arrived at Suffolk with much acclaim out of Revere High School, where, as a senior, he was named Most Valuable Player of the Greater Boston League and scored a league-record 44 points in one game versus Medford High School. He also led the Patriots to their first Tech Tourney appearance in 32 years.

Upon graduating from Suffolk, Mellace spent 36 years as a social studies teacher at Revere High, and 25 years as a referee at the Division I college level. In 2009, he was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame as an official.

Now 77 years young, Mellace lives in Peabody with Susan, his wife of 54 years. They have two daughters and one grandson.

Watch Archie Mellace's Induction Video Here