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BLUE RAIDER HALL OF FAME
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    • John Stanford

    Inducted: 1987
    Sports: Baseball

    John Stanford came to MT in the 1950s after serving with the Air Force where he had gained acclaim as a softball and baseball pitcher. He made his mark on MT baseball by becoming an All-OVC selection.

    After graduation, he went pro, pitching two seasons for the Washington Senators before serving as baseball coach for Shelbyville Central and Motlow Community College in Middle Tennessee. In 1974, he returned to his alma mater to cultivate one of the most respected diamond programs in college baseball. His Blue Raider record of 402-272-4, is second only to his hand-picked successor, Steve Peterson. His teams won OVC titles four times and the league's Southern Division crown five times. Blue Raider squads under Stanford made repeated trips to the NCAA Tournament and he took multiple coach-of-the-year honors.

    As athletic director, he worked with donors to improve baseball facilities and scholarships, upgraded the golf program and advocated the formation of the women's softball program and field.

    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.