1998 SPORTS BROADCASTING INDUCTEE GEORGE BRYSON There was a little bit of Dizzy Dean in the makeup of the flamboyant actor, comedian, and radio-TV announcer, George Bryson, who was born in Missouri and grew up watching the St. Louis Cardinals. The “Ole Cottontop” as he was affectionately nicknamed, had the same folksy style of delivery…
1997 TENNIS INDUCTEE BUTCH WALTS Butch Walts, one of Fresno’s greatest tennis players, starred at Bullard High School and the University of Southern California. The Association of Tennis Professionals ranked him as high as #16 in singles in 1978. His decade-long career included victories over tennis greats such as John McEnros, Ilie Nastase and Guillermo…
1997 GOLF INDUCTEE LEN ROSS Len Ross’ vision was to teach young people to golf, no matter where they lived or how much money they had. With Ross’ gift for rallying others around his dream, the Fresno Junior Golf Learning Center opened its doors in the spring of 2006 in West Fresno. With the founding…
1997 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE STEPHONE PAIGE He wasn’t as physical as most pro receivers, but Stephone Paige had everything else: speed, agility,athleticism, toughness and great hands. Paige’s climb to gridiron greatness-ten seasons in the National Football League-began at Long Beach Poly High School and continued at Santa Ana’s Saddleback Junior College and Fresno State. He spent…
1997 VOLLEYBALL INDUCTEE RUTH LAWANSON Fresno State All-American volleyball player Ruth Lawanson was a member of the 1992 United States Olympic bronze medal-winning team in Barcelona. She was also an outstanding professional player and coach. Fresno State Coach Leilani Overstreet recruited Lawanson from Clovis West High School, where her skills were raw, but her talent…
1997 SPORTSWRITER INDUCTEE BRUCE FARRIS Bruce Farris was a sports writer for The Fresno Bee for fifty-two years, a career distinguished not only by longevity and depth, but by the respect he earned from those he covered and with whom he worked. Sports writers are often barely tolerated by coaches, avoided by athletes, and harangued…
1996 ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION INDUCTEE HANS WIEDENHOEFER Hans Wiedenhoefer Sr. was part of the original coaching staff when Fresno City College fielded a football team for the first time in 1948. He remained with the college for thirty-six years with six conference titles as head coach and two state titles in wrestling. He also was athletic…
1996 WEIGHTLIFTING INDUCTEE DAN TAKEUCHI Dan Takeuchi didn’t take up weight lifting until he was fifty-four years old, going on to win gold medals as well as break masters and age division tournament and world records well into his golden years. Takeuchi was born in Fresno and graduated from Sanger High School. He spent two…
1996 COACHING-BASEBALL INDUCTEE MIKE NOAKES Coach Mike Noakes-whose high school teams won sixteen league championships and five section titles-was known as the fiercest of competitors who relished the battle and gave orders until the very last out. His respect for discipline and fundamentals was legendary in the valley. His competitive nature was balanced off the…
1996 TENNIS INDUCTEE ELAINE MASON Winning more than eighty United States Tennis Association National Senior titles all after the age of sixty-four, Ruth Elaine Mason is a legend in her sport. She also traveled to colleges on both coasts, conducting instructional clinics for tennis teachers and coaches, and developed the concept of teaching children to…