Inductees

A native of Fairhope in Washington Township, Dale was born September 12, 1937. As a youngster, delivering the Charleroi Mail and Monessen Independent in Fairhope, Dale read about and dreamed of making an athletic accomplishment someday like the stars honored at the Big Six Banquet and the Mon Valley Hall of Fame. Quoting poet Robert Frost, Dale took “a road less traveled and it has made all the difference.” A NFL official since 1978, he has 14 years as a head linesman and eight years as a referee. He worked two Super Bowls as a head linesman and is the Executive Director of the Western Chapter and Pennsylvania Sports Halls of Fame. Jim Hamer, another Mon Valley Hall of Fame inductee, is Dale’s uncle and former NFL official as well.

A 1955 Bellmar High School graduate, Dale played football for Coach Bap Manzini, and was a two-year letterman, one-year as a guard and the next year as middle linebacker. Dale received a Bachelor of Science degree from California State College in 1960.

From 1960 to 1964 Dale taught mathematics in the Clairton and West Mifflin North school districts. He left teaching for a position at USX Corporation and retired in 1992 as vice president of Leasing and Finance. In 1970 he received his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.

In 1962 Dale began an officiating career that would eventually take him to the National Football League. He officiated high school and college basketball from 1962 to 1980, working over 450 games. He started officiating football in 1963 on the high school and college ranks, performing in about 400 events.

In 1978 Dale got his break into big time officiating with the NFL and has worked over 400 games, including 13 playoff games and two Super Bowls in 1983 and 1988 as a head linesman. Dale performed referee duties in the 1992 AFC Conference Championship. Some of Dale’s local mentors along the way included Bud Roman, Armand Niccolai, Francis Delmastro, Walt Malinchak, Jack Green, and Melvin Bassi. When asked about officiating, Hamer likes to say, “You’re in control, and everybody else around you is going totally nuts.”

In 1995 Dale was unable to perform his officiating duties due to a deteriorated aortic valve, which controls the flow of blood from the left ventricle to the aorta, the largest artery in the body. Hamer had a 5-hour operation on July 25th at Pittsburgh’s West Penn Hospital in which Dr. Bob Gardner chiseled out the calcified valve and replaced it with the biological valve from a cow. Unfortunately, Dale suffered two minor strokes after surgery and developed liver problems. Initially, his heart was out of rhythm and it wasn’t until the next year that a shock treatment put his heart back in rhythm. Although his rehabilitation was slow, the NFL cleared him to work on April 3, 1996 and he will be entering his 23rd season in 2001.

In 1994 Dale participated in the Jeep Superstars competition from Honolulu, Hawaii, on ABC-TV as the Commissioner of Events. Dale is a member of the National Football League Referees Association and served as president from 1996-1999. He also edits the Association Newsletter, “The Official Word.”

From 1994-1996 Dale served as interim Alumni Director for California University of Pennsylvania.
Dale was honored with the Michael Duda Illustrious Alumni Award at California University in 1988. In 1996 he was inducted into the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.

Dale and his wife Arden are the parents of three daughters and have two grandchildren. They make their home in Murrysville, Pennsylvania.

The Mid-Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame is certainly honored that Dale’s athletic “road less traveled” has brought him this accolade.