HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Dave Stewart VIIdescribes his age as "50-something" and claims to be in his 30th year as a college senior.

"Once I started college, I've never left," the 1966 Butler High School graduate said.

Stewart began his college career at Butler County Community College and played on the Pioneers' first varsity basketball team there.

He since graduated from Slippery Rock University and has been employed in recreation departments at Michigan State, Kettering (Mich.)University, Toledo, South Carolina and now Marshall University.

Stewart accepted the position of new director of Marshall's Campus Recreation last month.

"We're in the process of building a 113,000-square foot recreation center that will be open in February,"Stewart said. "I was brought in to run the facility, basically.

"It will have two levels of fitness equipment, a jogging track, four basketball courts, a 45-foot climbing wall, two swimming pools — it will be a wonderful building for the campus community."

Stewart has been down this road before. He helped open similar facilities at Toledo and Kettering.

And he was steered onto this career path by retired BC3 athletic director Chuck Dunaway.

As a youngster, Stewart was the game organizer in his McKean Street neighborhood. He organized football and Wiffle ball games, even painting the words "Wiff Stadium" on a garage.

He wound up as director of the South Hills playground on North Main Street.

"Mr. Dunaway was my driver education teacher in high school,"Stewart said. "When I came to BC3, he was the basketball coach there and I wound up helping with the intramural program.

"I happened to be on the intramural basketball team that developed into BC3's first team to play against other schools. We referred to it as 'extramurals' at the time."

Stewart described himself as the least talented guy on the team, yet the guy who wanted to play the most.

"That's exactly what he was,"Dunaway said. "He always worked hard to play varsity basketball. He just didn't have the ability. He helped run an intramural football league on campus and became one of the officials."

When Stewart decided to move on to Youngstown State and major in business, Dunaway advised Stewart that he was making a mistake.

"I told him he didn't like business, he liked physical activity,"Dunaway said. "He was done at Youngstown after a semester."

Dunaway helped get Stewart enrolled in SRU's recreation program and the rest is history.

"Chuck Dunaway was my mentor before I knew what the word meant,"Stewart said. "He changed my life. Everything I have now, I owe to that man."

Stewart spent 12 years as a college basketball official, working games in the Big Ten, Mid-American Conference and ACC.

"There was so much travel involved. I gave that up for family,"he said.

One of his sons, Dave Stewart VIII, now works as assistant director of intramurals and special events at Marshall.

"He shares the same passion for this business that I do,"Stewart said.

And Stewart never gave up working with youngsters and organizing leagues.

"Being around young people is keeping me young,"Stewart insisted.

Dunaway is not surprised at the career his former student has put together.

"Not at all," Dunaway said. "David is a positive person who sees the bright side of everything. He has unlimited energy and enthusiasm, and it rubs off on people."