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Bauxite announces seven new Hall of Fame inductees |
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Friday, 03 October 2008 |
There may be some dispute as to the location of the first settlement in Saline County (depending on your perspective, European or Indian), but there can be no doubt as to where the foundation of Saline County’s economy was laid.
Bauxite is not the size it was in World War II when it was larger than both Benton and Bryant combined, but the Bauxite Miner spirit is alive and well as evidenced Saturday night at the Bauxite Sports Hall of Fame Banquet at the Bauxite Community Center.
A large crowd enjoyed food catered by Denton’s Trotline and watched as distinguished Miners were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Those inductees were:
•Dan Dawson, a graduate of Bauxite High, who excelled in football, basketball and baseball. He quarterbacked the 1996 Miners to an undefeated season and a state championship.
While at Rice University, Dawson was named Rice’s Most Valuable Player and was the Western Athletic Conference Scholar in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
He was named Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week four times and recorded 13 interceptions. He currently holds Rice’s record for the longest interception return and the most interceptions returned for touchdowns. In 1998, he set a NCAA Division 1-A record by returning a fumble for 100 yards.
• J.P. Duke, who graduated from Bauxite High School, was a major part of the 1945 Bauxite track team, which won the state championship. As a member of the Louisiana State University track team, he ran the 440, mile and two mile relays. He had a split clocked at 49.2 seconds, which was among the seven fastest times in the United States.
Duke spent most of his career as the dean of men and track coach at Cumberland College where his teams assembled 320 wins. He was named to the Cumberland College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
• Coach George Henry coached boys football, basketball and track, and girls basketball at Bauxite from 1941 to 1946. In 1943, his football team was recognized as the No. 1 team in B classification in Arkansas. In 1945 and 1946, his track teams won consecutive state championships.
After leaving Bauxite, Henry coached track and field at the University of the Ozarks, where his teams won two AIC track titles and one AIC cross-country title. Coach Henry was twice honored as the NAIA District 17 and NAIA Area V Track Coach of the Year. He was named to the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2003.
• Thelma Kimbrough spent her entire teaching career at Bauxite High School. She taught girls P.E., Algebra II and trigonometry while coaching girls basketball and gymnastics. With her many duties, she still found time to sponsor the junior class, the senior class and the Student Council.
Several of Kimbrough’s teams won district and state championships. She died in 1977 at the age of 48.
• Marvin Lindsey was the starting quarterback for the Miners in 1939. Lindsey went on to play for both Centenary College and Ouachita Baptist College (now University). He transferred to the University of Arkansas, where he became the Razorbacks’ starting quarterback. While at the university, he became a Golden Gloves Champion in the 140-pound weight division.
After college, Lindsey played for the Green Bay Packers and later for the Boston Red Sox. After leaving professional sports, he became head coach at Magnolia High School. In football, his teams won one state championship and three conference championships.
• Dale Moose Mize attended Bauxite schools and graduated in 1949. He played on the 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1948 football teams. As a member of the track team, he set the state record in the discus in 1949.
Although offered a full athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University, he chose to go to a smaller school. He attended Henderson State University on a scholarship. In 1952, he was drafted into the Army. In 1962, he entered the University of Arkansas majoring in mechanical engineering. After graduating in 1962, Mize began a 34-year career with Alcoa.
• Myka Bono Sample graduated from Bauxite High School in 1987. While at Bauxite, she lettered in both basketball and track all three years. She was all-conference and all district in basketball in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. As a junior, she was named tournament MVP and scored 33 points and pulled down 16 rebounds.
Sample finished her high school career with a total of 1,251 points and thereby became the first to score more than 1,000 points in the history of the school. Since graduation, she has continued her participation in sports by coaching Mini-Miner basketball teams and other teams for 12 years.
She has continued her personal participation as a member of the women’s National Champion softball team and has been named to the 1st team All-American.
In addition to the Hall of Fame inductees, three others were named to the Wall of Honor. Howard Kitchens was recognized for exemplary service and Rachel Greer as a distinguished alumni. The Meritorious Service Award went to Larry Hart.
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