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BLUE RAIDER HALL OF FAME
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    • Larry Gilbert

    Inducted: 1994
    Sports: Golf

    Although Larry Gilbert came to MT on a basketball scholarship, he made his mark as a golfer, winning big at the NCAA College Division Championships in 1965. He was MT's first-ever individual national championship winner. His play helped bring his Blue Raider teammates including Dan Midgett, Jack Haley, Dan Lewis, George Cogbill, Steve Robinson and Bob Wolfe, in ahead of the rest of the field and was instrumental in bringing MT its only national team championship. Playing for fellow Hall of Famer Coach E.K. Patty, Gilbert helped lead his teammates to three OVC championships and four TIAC titles.

    After graduation, Gilbert went on the PGA tour and worked as a pro at courses in Kentucky. He later became a leading money-winner on the PGA Seniors Tour.

    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.