Hall of Fame Charter Class Inducted
WINCHESTER, Va. - For the next two weeks, the Shenandoah University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will be looking back at its top 10 highlights of the 2008-09 school year.
For the complete list and overview of the project, please click here.
Almost since Shenandoah University became a four-year institution in 1974, fans have been asking when the university was going to start an Athletics Hall of Fame.
The drumbeat wasn't loud at first, but became louder when Dave Dutton took over as Athletics Director and Head Men's Basketball Coach in 1988.
Dutton made the decision early on in his tenure to hold off on starting a Hall of Fame until 25 classes of four-year student-athletes passed through Shenandoah. This would have put the Hall on track for starting in 1999.
As that time approached, Dutton appeared ready to bring the Hall to reality, but life intervened. The university decided to commission an impact study of adding intercollegiate football at SU, and that study was the first step in the football program being added in June 1999.
The addition of football took up all of 1999 with the team playing its first season in 2000.
Before Dutton could return to adding the Hall, his life was cut short by a heart attack in October 2001.
John Hill took over as AD in July 2002 after a long career at Heidelberg College in Ohio, and Hill had been involved in starting that school's Hall of Fame.
After fits and starts at Shenandoah, Hill got matters off the drawing board and to reality in late 2006. A committee of current and former coaches and administrators, former student-athletes and people who could speak to the athletes of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s was formed and issued a call for nominations.
Over 100 people were initially nominated for consideration to the Hall, and the committee not only considered the names, but also put in place a process to rank all current and future nominees.
After months of consideration, a charter class was selected and as part of Homecoming Weekend 2008, this class was inducted.
This induction brought together fans from the many different eras and was an excellent opportunity for all involved to see how far intercollegiate athletics has changed at Shenandoah in the past 40 years.
The 2009 Hall of Fame Induction is scheduled for October 23 in the Ferrari Room of the Brandt Student Center. For more information, please contact the Athletics Department at 540.665.4566.
