The Pete Schneider Gymnasium was officially dedicated on Friday, Dec. 19.

Schneider was a 6-4, 240-pound athlete for Northampton in the late 1930s. He excelled in football, basketball and baseball and was captain of the District 11 basketball champions and a member of the 1937 Wonder Team.

After high school, Schneider lettered in football, basketball and baseball at Muhlenberg College and served in the Army Air Corps in World War II, when he met his wife Dannye.

Pete played professional basketball for Hazleton in the Eastern League and pro football for the Bethlehem Bulldogs in the American Football League.

Schneider was a long-tenured teacher and guidance counselor, over 35 years, at Northampton, serving as a head boys basketball coach from 1949-58.

In addition to coaching boys basketball, Pete was an assistant football and girls basketball and golf coach. Northampton boys basketball has made it to the District 11 finals five times in its history, Pete played in the first two and coached in the other three. In total, Pete was involved with Northampton athletics for over 50 years.

Pete was elected to the Muhlenberg Sports Hall of Fame, the Lehigh Valley football and basketball halls of fame and the Northampton Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 1993, the Borough of Northampton honored Pete by naming a street after him. He died in 1996 at the age of 77.

In recognition of his service and devotion to the Northampton Area School District, and in conjunction with his many educational endeavors and interest in sports, the Northampton Area School Board has decided to name the high school gymnasium the Pete Schneider Gymnasium.