For the past 60 years, The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame has honored and inducted over 780 incredible men and women who have made a lasting impact in Pennsylvania through extraordinary athletic achievement and contributions. Whether these activities have been achieved on or off the field, we honor them. Through our future virtual museum, we educate and celebrate their achievements for years to come.
The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame’s 2024 Induction Ceremony and Dinner is Saturday, November 2, 2024 at Delaware County’s The Drexelbrook Event Center..
Eddie Allen
Deceased
Year Inducted:2003
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Eddie was awarded a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania in 1938 and was the Quakers starting fullback in 1939-40-41. He also played basketball and competed in track at Penn. As a senior, he received the Class of 1915 award as the most outstanding student athlete. In 1945, he played in the College AII-Star game and was awarded All-American honors. As a senior in 1946, Eddie played in the East-West All-Star game where he captained the East against New York Giants. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1947 and played a couple of years in the N.F.L. In 1949, he coached football at Upper Darby High School before embarking on a coaching career at Drexel that lasted from 1950-1957 and produced the only undefeated season in the school's history. At Penn in 1941, Eddie scored 695 points out of 700 on the Air Corps Physical Training Test, a record that still stands.
George Chaump
Deceased
Year Inducted:2003
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About This Inductee:
• Wyoming native
• John Harris High School head football coach-6 championships in 6 years, 4 undefeated seasons, an overall record of 58-4
• 1968-1979 assistant coach at Ohio State, National Champs in 1968
• Won 9 Big 10 titles, played in 6 Rose Bowls, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Gator Bowl
• 1979-1981 assistant coach with Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coached in Pro Bowl
• Head coach of Indiana University, Pennsylvania, with 20 winning seasons, capturing 2 consecutive Western Conference Championships
•Coached Navy 1991-1995
• Inducted into PA Sports Hall of Fame in 2003
George Chaump is a 1958 graduate of Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania where he earned four letters in football and three in wrestling. His first head coaching position was at Shamokin PA High School in 1961, and from there he went on to John Harris High School in Harrisburg, PA. His teams went 58-4 in six seasons (1962-67), including unbeaten campaigns in 1962, 1965, 1966, and 1967. Each of those teams won conference championships. Chaump was named Central Pennsylvania Coach of the Year in all six seasons; Chaump spent the next 11 seasons as quarterbacks coach at Ohio State under Hayes. In that period (1968-78), the Buckeyes were 95-15-3.
From 1979 through 1981, Chaump was offensive backfield coach under John McKay with the Buccaneers, helping that team to two National Football Football Conference Central Division championships, the only two division titles in club history.
Chaump returned to the collegiate ranks in 1982 as head coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. His 1984 Indiana team was 7-3 and co-champion of the Western Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and his 1985 team was Western Division Champion of the PSAC while going 8-2-1. At Indiana PA, his squads were 24-16-1 in four seasons, winning a divisional championship and tying for another. Chaump was appointed head coach at Marshall in December of 1985. Chaump was appointed the Naval Academy’s 33rd head football coach on January 8, 1990, coming to Annapolis after highly-acclaimed success at Marshall University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Chaump’s overall collegiate coaching record for 10 seasons is 63-48-2 (.566), while his overall record as a head coach on the collegiate and high school levels is 126-58-2 (.683). Chaump, a native of Scranton, Pa., has enjoyed success at every level on which he has coached. He has a winning percentage of .683 in his 17 years as a head coach on the collegiate and high school levels.
He died May 19, 2019 at age 83.
Mike Diminick
Living
Year Inducted:2003
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Mike, a 1985 Mt. Carmel Area School valedictorian, was a Bally's High School All-American, Big 33 All-Star, All-State, and National Scholar Athlete of the Year besides National honors team recognition. At Duke University, Mike was a three-year starting defensive back and the only three time Duke first team Academic All-American. He was also selected the 1988 National Football Foundation National Scholar Athlete and A.C.C. Scholar Athlete. He attended Harvard Medical School and presently practices orthopedic surgery in Lynchburg, VA.
Lee Elia
Living
Year Inducted:2003
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Lee was an honorable mention All-State football player at Olney High School in 1954. The following
year, he was selected All-Public in football, basketball and baseball and All-City in football, baseball,
and second team in basketball. In 1956 he attended Bordentown Military Institute and the University
of Delaware from 1957-58. His baseball playing career lasted from 1959-73, where he played with
the Cubs, White Sox, and eight minor league teams. In 1978, he was Manager of the Year with the Reading Phillies in the Eastern League, and two years later he worked as the third base coach for the 1980 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. From 1982-83, Lee managed the Cubs, and in 1987 he managed the Phillies for two years. He was honored as the International Manager of the Year for Scranton-Wilkes Barre in 1993 and from 2001-2002, he worked as the coaching consultant for the Seattle Mariners.
Lou Ferry
Deceased
Year Inducted:2003
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Lou starred in football, basketball, and track at S1. James High School in Chester.He attended Villanova where he had an outstanding career playing four years of football for Jordan Oliver. He played in two bowl games and was selected to play in the College All-Star game that defeated the New York Giants, 26-13. Then Lou spent the next seven years in the N.F.L. He played one year with Green Bay and a year with the Chicago Cardinals before a five year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After pro football, he began coaching with Alex Bell at Villanova. He spent a few years as head coach and has continued to coach the Wildcats for over 40 years.
John Reese
Living
Year Inducted:2003
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About This Inductee:
• Kingston native
• Wrestling coach at Wilkes University for 42 years, the longest tenure of any coach at one institution
• Second coach in collegiate wrestling history to reach the 500 win mark
• Finished with career record of 515-171-10
• Led Wilkes to 40 winning campaigns, including a string of 39 straight winning seasons from 1955-1993
• Led Wilkes to 14 Middle Atlantic Conference crowns and 1974 N.C.A.A. Division III National Championship
• His teams were ranked #1 during 1966, 1974 and 1975 seasons
• Inducted into eight Halls of Fame, including the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
• Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wilkes University Hall of Fame
• Inducted in PA Sports Hall of Fame in 2003
John Reese is in his 37th season at the helm of the Wilkes College wrestling program. This gives him the distinction of holding the longest tenure of any wrestling coach at any one institution. Throughout the years, his teams have compiled an outstanding collegiate dual record of 477-119-8 including undefeated seasons in 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61 and 1970-71. He has guided the Colonels to 38 straight winning seasons, 35 in a row. During his tenure at Wilkes, Reese led the Colonels to 15 Middle Atlantic Conference titles in 19 years at the NCAA Division III level. He guided his ’73-’74 team to the NCAA Division III National Championship and his ’65-’66 unit placed second in that tournament. He has coached ten college division champions.
In 1976, Reese took the Colonel grapplers out of Division III and the MAC and into NACC Division I and the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA). Despite its small size in comparison with the other schools, Wilkes has produced 54 EIWA place winners including eight champions and the 1976 Outstanding Wrestler, Jim Weisenfluh. The Blue and Gold has also produced four NCAA Division I place winners. A native of Wyoming Valley, Reese attended Kingston High School where he began his grappling career. While there, he achieved District II honors and was a PIAA finalist.
He started his collegiate career at Millersville State and completed his undergraduate work at Penn State, where he earned a B.S. in physical education in 1951. In addition, Reese holds a master’s degree from PSU. He was wrestling coach at Kingston for two years. The successful mentor serves as athletic director at Wilkes, working with the college’s 13 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports. Earlier in his career at Wilkes, he coached both soccer and baseball. John, who conducts a summer wrestling camp in August each year at Wilkes, is a member of the executive hoard of the National Wrestling Coaches Association: president of the EIWA Coaches Association (selected in October): former president of the MAC: and a member of the ECAC executive committee.
John was honored by being selected by Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh to the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Reese is also a member of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame and is president of the Keystone State Games Committee. He is married to the former Patricia Tosh of Wilkes-Barre. Reese’s career boasts of 39 total coaching years – 2 years at Kingston High School and 37 years at Wilkes.
Robert Walk
Living
Year Inducted:2003
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Bob was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies and made his major league debut in 1980 where he was the starting pitcher in game one of the 1980 World Series. After one year in Philadelphia, he was traded to Atlanta where he spent three years. He was then acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1984 and posted six straight winning seasons from 1987-1992. Bob was named a National League AII-Star in 1988 and has a lifetime record of 105-81 which included a 82-61 mark with the Pirates and a complete game victory in the 1992 NLCS. Bob is presently a Pirate broadcaster.
Julia Staver
Living
Year Inducted:2003
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Julia is a 1970 graduate of Lower Dauphin High School where she captained the basketball team to three championships and helped the field hockey team capture the Lower Susquehanna League Title. In 1974, she was Magna Cum Laude and an AII-American in field hockey and lacrosse at the University of Pennsylvania and was selected to the All-Century team. She captained the U.S.National lacrosse and field hockey teams in 1976 and was a member of the 1980 and 1984 Olympic hockey teams where she was co-captain and a bronze medal winner at the Games in Los Angeles. In 1989, Julia was inducted into the U.S. Field Hockey Hall of Fame and the Ursinus College Hall of Fame. In 1996, she was inducted into Penn's Hall of Fame with Chuck Bednarik and Olympian Jack Kelley. She has been director of the USFHA and helped the U.S. team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Joseph Page
Deceased
Year Inducted:2003
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Joe was a left handed pitcher for the New York Yankees from 1944-50 and for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954. His lifetime record was 57-49 with a 3.53 ERA in 285 games. He had 519 strikeouts in his career and led the league in games with 55 in 1948 and 60 in 1949. As a relief pitcher, Joe led the league in 1947 with a 14-7 record and 17 saves and again in 1949 with a 13-8 record and 27 saves. He appeared in the 1947 and 1949 World Series with the Yankees, where he had a 2-1 record, 3.27 ERA, and 15 strikeouts. Joe was born in Cherry Valley, PA in 1917 and passed away in 1980 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
Steve Bilko, Sr.
Deceased
Year Inducted:2003
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About This Inductee:
• Nanticoke, Pennsylvania native
• Career spanned 1949-1962, with 313 homers and .312 batting average
• Called the “Babe Ruth of the Pacific Coast League”
• 1953 with St. Louis Cardinals, led National League in putouts
• 1956 LA Angel’s MVP, batted .350, 55 homers and 164 RBIs
• 1957 hit 56 homers, 140 RBIs, again with Angels in Pacific Coast League
• 1961 hit .279, 20 homers, 81 RBIs for LA Angels in American League
• Inducted into PA Sports Hall of Fame in 2003
"Babe Ruth of the Pacific Coast League" and one of its greatest. Nanticoke’s Steve Bilko was one of the greatest play-ers in the history of the Pacific Coast League. Between 1955 and 1957 with the Los Angeles Angels, Bilko hit .331 with 148 home runs and 428 RBI. He was named the league’s most valuable player in 1956 when he batted .360 with 55 homers and 164 RBI.
Bilko’s professional baseball career lasted from 1949-1962. In 1953 he played in all 154 games for the St. Louis Cardinals and led the National League in putouts. In 1957 he followed his MVP season with 56 home runs and 140 RBI for the Angels in the Pacific Coast League. In 1961 he hit .279 with 20 homers and 81 RBI for the Los Angeles Angels in the American League. A leg injury in 1962 ended his baseball career.
He died at the age of 50 in 1978.
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