Roger MacTavish

Roger MacTavish

Roger MacTavish has had a long and distinguished career in the world of basketball officiating on the high school and collegiate levels.

MacTavish was born in 1934, in Johnsonburg, Pa. He moved to Chautauqua County and has spent 65 years here. He went to Southwestern Central School where he earned varsity letters in baseball, basketball and volleyball. MacTavish graduated in 1953 and the day after graduation he signed a professional baseball contract with then Brooklyn Dodgers. He was assigned to Hornell Dodgers of the PONY League (now the NY-P League) as a catcher. He played for Hornell in 1953 and Olean the next two seasons.

He became a certified basketball official in 1955 and joined the IAABO Board 39 that year and amazingly has been an official for 55 years. MacTavish was the president of Board 39 four years and during that time his board raised the most money of all boards for the Basketball Hall of Fame. The check was presented to the Basketball Hall of Fame and IAABO was honored between halves of a game at Yale University. Dr. Phil Fox, president of IAABO, and Lee Williams, executive director of the Basketball Hall of Fame, presented the award to Board 39.

MacTavish helped organize and conducted the first regional basketball clinic in Western New York. To help upgrade the Board 39 annual banquet, he brought in high-profile speakers such as Williams, Fox and Tony Senipole. Those men were involved in leadership positions of IAABO. MacTavish helped start action with county athletic directors to change the system of assigning officials for games and that system is still used today. He was appointed rules interpreter for Board 39 in 1976 and still holds that position. He has taught the new candidates classes since 1976.

MacTavish was president of IAABO 39 from 1969-1973, served on the executive committee of National IAABO, was an assistant chairman of IAABO Rules Examination Committee for 15 years and was the chairman of IAABO Rules Examination Committee since 1985.

He joined the College Basketball Officials Association in 1967 and has officiated college basketball for more than 30 years and in 1990 was appointed by Hank Nichols to prepare the national NCAA Rules Examination. Ed Booth in 1993 became the National Rules Interpreter and asked Roger to be an advisor and researcher of the rules.

In 2000, the Executive Committee of IAABO made him a lifetime member and the 2004-2005 IAABO Handbook was dedicated in his name.

Roger MacTavish was inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.