Inductees

Doc is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. He was the men’s basketball coach of his alma mater,
the University of Pittsburgh from 1922 – 1953. At Pitt, he compiled a record of 367-247 (.595). His 1927 team was 27-0 and was retroactively named the national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the
Premo-Porretta Power Roll. His 1929-30 team was Also name national Champion for the 1928-30 by the
Helms Foundation. His 1941 squad made the 1941 Final Four.
As an athlete at Pitt, Carlson was an All-America end in football and lettered in basketball. At Pitt, Doc earned three letters in basketball, two in baseball and four in football.

Henry was a college standout at Lebanon Valley College where he played quarterback and graduated
in 1924. He gained the nickname of “Two Bits” due to his size. Standing 5’5’’ and weighing in at 150 pounds, he was one of the smallest players to ever play in the NFL. Homan played for the Frankford Yello Jackets from 1925 through 1930. Then Yellow Jackets with Homan would go on to win the 1926 NFL Championship. He was elected to the Lebanon Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976.

Football: Charlie was a football standout at Lafayette College (1921-1924) and was named an end on the final Walter Camp All-American team in 1924.
was inducted in to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980. In1925-26 he starred for the Pottsville Maroons of the NFL, leading the league in scoring in 1925 with 74 points. In 1925 the Maroons played a game against college football’s best team Notre Dame. The hard fought contest got down to the end and Berry a field goal to defeat the fighting Irish 9-7.

Baseball: He started his major league career with ten games for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925, but did not return to baseball until his football career ended. He played minor league ball in 1926-27; got called up to the Boston Red Sox (1928-32), Chicago White Sox (1932-33) and again with the Athletics (1934-36). His career stats were; batting .267, 23 home runs and 256 runs batted in 709 major league games. He became coach on Connie Mack’s staff from 1936 – 1940. During this five- year period, he was also the head football coach at Grove City College in Western Pennsylvania.

Officiating: Following his playing and coaching days, he became an Umpire in the American League from 1942 – 1962. He officiated in five World Series 1946,1950,1954, 1958,1962) and three All-Star Games (1944, 1948, 1956) He became a supervisor and returned to the field in 1970 for the American League Championship Series during an umpire’s strike.
At this same time, he was a head linesman in the NFL for 24 seasons, officiating 12 championship games including the renowned “Sudden Death” NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants in 1958.He is the only man to officiate the World Series, the NFL Championship Game and the College All-Star Game in the same year.

Note: Not as hard as you might imagine because in those days baseball ended in September and football started in October.

Vic was a 1921 graduate of Gettysburg College and was one of the first men inducted Into college’s Sports Hall of Fame. He coached track at William Penn High School 1923-1953, baseball 1930-1933, basketball from 1937-1948, football 1930-1950 and cross country 1950-1954. He was honored many times for his dedication
to Central Pennsylvania Scholastic Sports.

(November 24, 1930 – February 3, 2019) Bob was a right-handed big-league pitcher between 1951 and 1966 (197-230), most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A four-time All-Star (1956,1958, 1960), Friend was an integral member of the Pirates team that defeated the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. Known as a workhorse pitcher who would go nine innings, he had 1,734 career strikeouts. With Vernon Law, especially in 1960, he was considered part of the best 1-2 combination in baseball. He played for the New York Yankees and New York Mets in his final season of 1966. As of 2019, he still held Pirates records for career innings pitched and strikeouts. He is the first man to lead the league in ERA while pitching for a last place team.

One of the finest athletes of his time. Groat played shortstop for the Pirates for nine years (1952, 1955-62), sparking the team to a world championship in 1960 when he led the team in hitting with a .325 average and was named MVP. Groat posted a .286 over his 14-year major league career, batting ,300 or better four times. A graduate of Swissvale High School Dick was an All-American In Baseball and Basketball at Duke University.
A six foot Guard, he led the nation in scoring his senior season, averaging 26 points per game. He played one season in the NBA before making baseball his career.

Jack was an accomplished rower, a four- time Olympian and an Olympic medal winner. He is the son of triple Olympic gold medal winner John B, Kelly Sr. In 1947, Kelly was awarded The James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States.

Duke graduated from Harrisburg High School and despite not playing in college, he had an eight-year
career (1944-1952) as an offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagle. He finished his football career as a minor league coach in Harrisburg.

Considered by many the greatest high school coach ever in Pennsylvania. He had a record of 574-153 at Farrell from 1949-1977, winning seven state titles and 11 WPIAL championships. He had a career record of 698 – 185, 79%. If there is an honor for such a career, he got it.

After failing three times to make his team at Pittsburgh Central Catholic in the late 1940’s. He went on to be a star at the University of Cincinnati and averaged 19 points a game in an 11-year NBA career with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royaals. He joined the Royals in 1956. Although not great friends, He became the legal guardian of teammate Maurice Stokes After stokes suffered a head injury in 1958 and was paralyzed the final final 12 years of his life.

About This Inductee:

Born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, Wall played collegiate golf at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and graduated in 1949 with a business degree. Wall won fourteen titles on the PGA Tour, including four in 1959. That year he was chosen as the PGA Player of the Year, and also won the money title and Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average.

His most notable career achievement was his victory in 1959 at the Masters Tournament. In the final round, he birdied five of his last six holes to shoot a 66 and overtake Cary Middlecoff and defending champion Arnold Palmer. He was a member of three United States Ryder Cup teams: 1957, 1959, and 1961.

Wall is also notable for sinking 45 holes-in-one in his playing career (including casual rounds), a world record for many years. Wall’s final tour win came at age 51 at the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1975, his first tour win in nine years. Since this, no older player has won on tour; the closest was Fred Funk at age 50 in 2007. The oldest remains Sam Snead, who was nearly 53 in 1965 at his 82nd and final tour win at the Greater Greensboro Open.

Wall died October 31, 2001 at age 77 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, of respiratory failure after a lengthy illness, and is buried at Glen Dyberry Cemetery in Honesdale.

Helen is a native of Gladwyne, PA. She has won more than 350 titles during her 45 year golf career She has been a 12- time Philadelphia National Champion, 5- time Pennsylvania National Champion, 2-time Women’s Eastern Amateur Champion 1952, 1953, Western Amateur Champion 1949.
Twice runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. 2-time Curtis Cup winner representing the United States. Set an amateur record low score of 296 and finished fifth At the US Open in 1965 Won the U.S. Women’s Senior Championship (over 65 Division) in 1967