Since 1984, the Hancock Sports Hall of Fame has inducted athletes, teams, coaches, officials, announcers, writers and administrators representing all sports in Hancock County. Our first Induction Ceremony was held in 1985.
By Dave Hanneman, Courier Sportswriter
The hour was late.
The door was locked.
The lights were low.
But in the wee hours on that cold February night in 1984, the conversation across the Oiler Pub bar was animated and lively.
Tom Jeffire, still a relative newcomer to Findlay and Hancock County, was telling Findlay Courier sportswriters Dave Egbert and Dave Hanneman about his days as operations manager of Olympia Stadium in Detroit. Mementos of his past decorated the walls of his pizza establishment, autographed posters of Detroit Red Wings’ greats, athletes like Joe Louis and rock stars who had played concerts at the arena as well -- Elvis, the Beetles, Three Dog Night, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder.
The conversation, as it often does over a few cold ones between good friends, turned to past experiences. More specifically, it centered around famous people our home towns had produced or star status individuals we had encountered or covered along the way.
With his past connections, Tom had a definite edge in big-name acquaintances, and he seemed to enjoy pressing that advantage.
But Egbert, a Findlay boy born and raised and a walking encyclopedia of Hancock County athletic history, held his own. As A-list as Tom’s collection was, the bar owner was more than a little impressed by the names Eggy came up with:
Over the years, all had been featured in The Courier, during their careers and in “Look Back,” “Remember When” and “Top Athletes of the Century” type articles.
“Why,” Tom wondered aloud, wasn’t there some permanent, visible, accessible-to-the-public exhibit or showcase recognizing Findlay and Hancock County’s most illustrious athletes?
The question hung tantalizingly in the air.
Then, all three men came to the obvious conclusion.
“Why?” wasn’t the issue.
“Why not!” was the solution.
So in the wee hours on a cold February night in 1983, they huddled and started making plans.
The Hancock Sports Hall of Fame was a natural title for the organization. Then they put together a board to help bring it together, successful, motivated people, many of them Hall of Fame candidates, whose knowledge, organizational skills and business savvy would prove invaluable.
A lot of long hours went into the planning of that first induction ceremony in the spring of 1985.
There were no guarantees it would be a success, but the committee was able to land a dynamic guest speaker in Johnny Bench and the first class of inductees — Peg Kirk Bell, Forest “Tot” Pressnell, Carl Bachman, Harold “Doc” Castor, Dave Sorenson and Bob Wortman — was Hall of Fame caliber by any standards. The evening was a huge success. But at the end of the night, when the hand pumping and back slapping was done, the committee came to a stark reality — a year from now they would have to do it all over again.
But they did pull it off again, and again and again and again through one decade, then another and another.
Year after year the Hall of Fame ranks swelled, often by individuals known as much by their nickname as their given title:
“Spike” (Berry), “Tot” (Pressnell), “Herk” (Wolfe), “Bullet” (Bell), and “Diz” (Kirkendall).
The Hall includes Gonso (Harry), Woody (Curlis) “Hobe” (Wagner) and “Bo” (Hurley) and a ward full of “Docs” (Castor, Schoonover, and Slough, as well as trainer Dr. Harry Miller).
Some individuals rode the need for speed into the Hall of Fame, whether they were driving cars (Harroun), boats (Bernie Little), motorcycles (Steve Morehead) or sprint cars (Rick Ferkel). Some, like harness drivers Joe Marsh and Doc Schoonover, took the term horsepower literally.
There are Barons and Dukes in the Hall of Fame, fathers and sons (Dean & Andy Butler; Lynn & Doug Martin; Byron Sr., Byron Jr. & Bob Morgan; George & Chad Keller); sets of brothers (Bill & Joe Faine, Jim & Jerry Carder; Gene & John Fekete, Jim & Bob Inniger, Steve & Ken Brooks), husbands & wives (Peg & Warren Bell).
The Hall of Fame includes marksmen, linksters and keglers, as well as men who have coached the game, played the game, called the game (officials, announcers), scheduled the game (administrators) and chronicled the game (sportswriters).
The Hall also recognizes outstanding teams that have represented Findlay High School, the University of Findlay and Hancock County schools over the years.
There was a concern, when the Hancock Sports Hall of Fame was started, whether there would be enough qualified candidates to keep the organization going. Over 30 years later, it has become evident that is not a problem.
That is one of the great things about the Hancock Sports Hall of Fame. Not only has it made it a priority to recognize great athletes and teams, it has also created a platform, a goal, an incentive for those athletes building Hall of Fame-type careers.
The Membership Committee consists of 20 members who discuss and vote on all aspects of the Hall of Fame, from events to Inductees.
The Advisory Board has no voting rights, but their wisdom and experience helps guide the Hall of Fame.
The Glory Days of sporting careers are brought back to life with the swing of a golf club, the cheering crowds in a stadium, the smell of chlorine from the pool, the crack of a bat, the sound of tennis shoes on a basketball court. These triggers bring back memories of last-minute buzzer beaters, Hail Mary long bombs and the grand slams that turned an athlete into a hero.
The Hancock Sports Hall of Fame is dedicated to recognizing and honoring the athletes and those who contributed to the history of sports in Hancock County. Please consider donating to this important tradition. You may donate online or download and print a PDF form to complete and mail to us.
