South Dakota Mines

Dan Matthaidess, who hailed from Moorhead, Iowa, was recruited by Coach Bob Hunt in 1959. Dan had other scholarship opportunities, but his goal was to earn a four-year degree with the chance to play basketball, and he chose South Dakota Mines. 
 
Dan was a member of Triangle Fraternity, and he served as a March Hall Room Advisor for three years until he married Bonnie in July of 1962 after his junior year. The two lived in a little apartment within walking distance of campus. 
  
Dan had a lifelong love for sports, especially basketball and baseball, and he holds the 13^th spot for all-time points made as a Hardrocker (1,292). He was also a member of the Hardrocker Track and Field team. Dan had a strong bond with his teammates and stayed close with several of them following graduation; some of Dan’s fondest memories and most longstanding friendships came from his time at Mines. His mentoring from Coach Hunt (who was Bonnie’s uncle) was another constant throughout Dan’s college and career.
 
Dan graduated in 1963 and accepted a position at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York. Over his 39 years at Kodak, he held positions in engineering, advertising and marketing for the Asia Pacific Rim which provided exciting opportunities for travel to New Zealand, Australia, China, Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
 
Upon retirement from Kodak, Dan became a financial advisor and enjoyed the next ten years serving the needs of others. He was a family man and loved spending time with Bonnie, his three children, and their families. Boating on the waters of Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes near Rochester was one of his favorite pastimes.
 
Dan was to be inducted as part of the 2020 Class of the Hardrock Hall of Fame, an event which was postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19. Knowing he was selected into the Hall of Fame meant the world to him, but he sadly passed away from a sudden heart attack on December 17, 2020, and he was inducted posthumously with the Hardrock Hall of Fame Class of 2021.