Sports Hall of Fame moving forward with plans to honor new class

While digging through a file cabinet researching some of the early teams coached by Gene Bess, I happened to come across a program signed by the 1979 Raiders.

Bess, who announced his retirement after 50 seasons last week, is a member of four halls of fame. He was first inducted into the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame just four years after his ’79 Raiders won the national championship.

He was a member of the third class to be honored. That year also featured Bob Cradic, the first coach of the Raiders who hired Bess. At the time of his induction, Bess had a career record of 370-94. He went on to win another 930 games and a second national championship.

This fall the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame is scheduled to induct its 34th class with a banquet the night before the Mules football homecoming game.

With the cancellation of high school sports this spring amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the unknown impact the virus will have come this fall, it’s difficult to plan for such an event.

Of course, this is our new normal.

This week the Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors met and voted to push ahead with plans to honor a new class of members. It was decided by the Board that should there be concerns about the virus again this fall, the ceremony could be postponed.

Many of those who are honored travel to town with their families to attend the induction banquet. Along with the dinner, honorees are introduced during halftime of the football game the following night.

It’s a tradition started in 1981 with a class that featured Billy Piper, Carmin Henderson and E.T. “Pete” Peters.

Piper played football at the University of Alabama after earning 12 varsity letters at Poplar Bluff High School in the late 1950s. Henderson was a three-sport athlete at the University of Missouri who signed with the Detroit Tigers. Peters is the reason Poplar Bluff teams are known as the Mules after coaching the Yellow Jackets to championship seasons in the 1920s and 30s.

All three were unanimous selections.

Buddy Godwin, who later saw his two sons inducted, was in the second class with Frank Case Sr., Poplar Bluff’s first four-year football letterman, and Jim Parkin, who bowled a 300 game and shot 59 in golf.

Four Moss brothers — Eddie, Leroy, Hosie and Mike — are members of the Sports Hall of Fame as is Ben Bidewell and son Jim, along with Bill Caputo and daughter Tara.

Cindy Chronister was the first woman inducted and followed by Becky Hansmann, Tracie Eudaley, Dena Hodge, LaRita Hawes and Mary Kalich.

Bus Carr was inducted for sportscasting, Bob Gray for sportswriting and Sam Giambelluca, who among many other things, started the Sports Hall of Fame.

The Sports Hall of Fame currently consists of 92 individuals and eight teams. Their plaques are located in the Poplar Bluff Museum.

The process for adding new members started in early March when a call went out for nominations from the public.

To be eligible for election, a person must have reached the age of 35, be a native of Poplar Bluff who has participated in or contributed to sports here or elsewhere, or, a person who came to Poplar Bluff and distinguished themselves here.

Nominations from the public are considered by the Board of Directors and placed on a preliminary ballot that is sent to over 100 selectors from the community. A person must gain enough support from the community to clear the preliminary ballot and then must receive a minimum of 75% of votes from the Board.

Anyone wishing to nominate someone or to receive a ballot may email the Board at pbsportshof@gmail.com or write to PO Box 1022, Poplar Bluff, MO 63902-1022.

The Sports Hall of Fame is supported entirely by contributions received from individuals, businesses, service organizations and memorials. A fundraising golf tournament is also held the day of the induction ceremony.

The Poplar Bluff Museum, located at 1010 N. Main St., will be open from 2-4 p.m. Sunday. The sports room features an impressive collection of memorabilia from local athletes and teams.

It also features a recently added program that was hiding in a file cabinet.

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Brian Rosener is the current president of the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame and the sports editor of the Daily American Republic. Contact him at sports@darnews.com .