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BLUE RAIDER HALL OF FAME
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    • Larry Stewart

    Inducted: 2007
    Sports: Basketball

    To question the basketball ability of MTSU guard Larry Stewart would be to disagree with legendary Kentucky Coach Adolph Rupp. After a brilliant high school career, Rupp offered Stewart a full scholarship to play with the Wildcats until he learned that Stewart was married, a rule that Rupp would not negotiate.

    Stewart attended Itawamba Community College in Mississippi and transferred to Middle Tennessee in 1962, he scored a total of 815 career points for the Blue Raiders, leading the team in scoring both seasons. Stewart averaged 17.7 ppg and 18.6 ppg in his two seasons, ranking him second in all time scoring average with a combined average of 18.1 ppg. He was elected to the first team All-OVC squads in both '62-'63 and '63-'64, as well as being selected Blue Raider Captain in 1963-'64. His teammates voted him team MVP in both years, as well.

    After graduation, he had a very successful and lengthy career as a teacher, coach and administrator in the State of Tennessee school system.

    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.