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BLUE RAIDER HALL OF FAME
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    • Roland McGhee

    Inducted: 2005
    Sports: Track and Field

    A nine-time NCAA Track All-American in the long jump and sprints for MT, Roland McGhee was a member of the 4x200 relay team that clocked the fastest time in the U.S. at the 1994 Penn Relays (1:21.18). A 1993 outdoor All-American, McGhee's ability in the long jump made him both outdoor and indoor All-American in 1991-94. He earned All-American honors indoors in the 60-yard dash in 1993-94.

    McGhee was the OVC champion in the long jump for four consecutive years, the triple jump for three years, the 100-meter dash for four years and the 200-meter dash for two years. In 1992 and 1993 he ran on the OVC Champion 4x100 relay team. McGhee finished his eligibility in 1994 and returned to MT in 1998 to complete his degree.

    Class of 2012

    Mike Caldwell
    Football

    Diane Cummings Turnham
    Athletic Administration

    Harry Gupton
    Basketball, Baseball

    Tawanya Mucker Wilson
    Basketball

    Jayhawk Owens
    Baseball

    History of the Hall of Fame

    In the early spring of 1975, a pair of long-time supporters of Middle Tennessee State University's athletic program decided that the University should honor its greatest athletes. Homer Pittard, alumni director, and Gene Sloan, public relations director, came up with the idea and asked sports information director Jim Freeman to join them in setting up an athletic hall of fame.

    After getting approval for the Hall of Fame from President M. G. Scarlett, the trio began laying the groundwork to select the first inductees. Others, including Bob Womack and Joe Nunley, were also involved.

    "We decided not to have categories but to put all candidates in one group," said Freeman. "We also decided against inducting a large group to start with and felt that three per year was the ideal number. That way, everyone got a good share of the spotlight."

    The nominating and voting for the first several years was done by members of the old "T" Club, now reorganized and called the Varsity Club. Nominations were solicited, and the the list of candidates was mailed to the voters. They selected Horace Jones, Charles "Bubber" Murphy and Teddy Morris as the initial inductees in 1976.

    The Blue Raider Hall of Fame was originally housed in the old Blue Raider Room under the west side of the football stadium. It had to be torn down when then stadium was expanded in 1998. After several years without a home, the Hall of Fame moved into the new Rose and Emmett Kennon Sports Hall of Fame building in 2004.