Robert Stack, skeet shooting phenom

[Awsi Dooger]

I am a USC alumnus and receive Trojan Family magazine every three months. The current issue arrived this week and included a very interesting letter to the editor from G. Ray Arnett, USC class of '48. Here are a few paragraphs:

"Bob Stack and I are USC alumni, and Bob was a longtime friend. His passing was a sad day for many who knew and admired him.

"I applaud USC Trojan Family Magazine for publishing the news of Bob's death so all readers of the magazine are informed of the loss of this patriotic, well-known American. In addition to his Hollywood career, the late "Unsolved Mysteries" and "The Untouchables" star had a passion for golf and shooting sports.

"For whatever reason, I find it inconceivable that whoever prepared the obituary failed to even mention some of the most notable accomplisments of Bob Stack's career. It is well known in the shooting community that Bob was a skeet champion with several world records and was inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame in 1971. Bob Stack held numerous world records in the shooting sports and was the National Skeet Shooting runner-up -- far before his role as Eliot Ness. Shooting was his first and true passion in life."

Wow, I never heard any of that. Unsolved Mysteries should have snuck in a forced skeet shooting segment, so Robert Stack could show off. Clever editing could easily overcome advanced age and any depreciation in skill.

I didn't even know Robert Stack was a fellow Trojan, Class of '40.