Fifteen Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association legends and five historic national championship teams have been elected to the inaugural MIAA Hall of Fame class, the conference office announced Wednesday (June 2). The Class of 2010 will be officially recognized at the annual MIAA Spring Awards Dinner June 10 at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, Mo.
Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri will be represented by five inductees apiece, Missouri S&T (formerly Missouri-Rolla) will have two members, Missouri Southern and Truman will both have one inductee, and Ken B. Jones, the first commissioner of the MIAA, will also be honored in the Class of 2010.
Dr. Forrest “Phog” Allen, Kathy Anderson, Dr. Mildred “Millie” Barnes, Vernon Kennedy and Earl Keth will be inducted for their accomplishments at the University of Central Missouri. Allen, a football and basketball coach at UCM from 1912-19, is a legend in basketball circles. Allen gained most of his fame during his 39 years as head coach at Kansas, but as the Mules’ basketball coach from 1912-19 he compiled a record of 84-31, and as the football coach from 1912-1917 he was 29-17-2.
Anderson, the current Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations at Central Missouri, will be recognized for her athletic accomplishments for the Jennies. Anderson helped bring the UCM women’s basketball program into prominence during her career from 1976-1980, leading the Jennies to an 82-31 record.
Barnes coached the Jennies basketball team for nine seasons, from 1971-80. She is credited with laying the foundation that helped make the Jennies’ basketball program one of the best in the nation, never having a losing season while compiling a 156-63 record and winning two AIAW state championships.
Kennedy was a football and track standout from 1926-29. He was a three-time All-MIAA selection in football and helped the Mules to four straight MIAA track and field championships. He set school records in the javelin, shot put, and discus. In 1927, he won the decathlon at the prestigious Penn Relays.
Keth led the Mules basketball team to national prominence in the late 1930’s. He was the star of the 1937 and 1938 teams that won the first two National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB) championships. The Mules’ first All-American in basketball, Keth is also a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame.
Henry Iba, Jack McCracken, Ryland Milner, Herschel Neil and Jim Redd will be inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame for their work at Northwest Missouri State University.
As the Northwest Missouri coach from 1929-33, Iba coached the Bearcats to a 93-15 record. His teams won three MIAA Championships (1930, 1932, 1933), including a perfect 31-0 season in 1930. Iba was inducted into the Northwest Missouri State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980, the first coach ever inducted.
McCracken was the first athlete to be inducted into the Northwest Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1930-31, he led the Bearcats to 43 consecutive wins and a perfect 31-0 record. McCracken earned MIAA All-Conference honors in 1930,1931,1932, and was named an All-American for Northwest in 1930 and 1931.
Milner was a member of the Northwest Missouri athletic department for 42 years. As an athlete, he was a part of Northwest’s 1931 undefeated MIAA Championship football team (9-0) and was a member of three MIAA Basketball Championship teams (1929-30 (31-0), 1931-32, 1932-33). As a coach, Milner won six MIAA Football championships (1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1948, 1952).
Neil was an MIAA All-Conference performer all four years as a track & field standout for Northwest (1934, 1935, 1936, 1937). He won 17 individual MIAA titles, set eight Northwest records in four years, and won the NCAA Triple Jump Championship in 1936-37. In his honor, the Northwest Missouri State University track was named The Herschel Neil Track.
Redd was a football player, football coach and Director of Athletics for Northwest from 1963-2001. As a coach, he led Northwest to the 1979 MIAA Championship. As the AD, Redd spearheaded improvements to the football stadium, Herschel Neil Track, the new softball field, the new soccer pitch, the tennis courts and Lamkin Activity Center (including Bearcat Arena).
Charlie Finley and Billy Key will enter the MIAA Hall of Fame for their achievements at Missouri S&T, formerly Missouri-Rolla. Finley had a 34-year tenure at Missouri S&T with the Miner football program, including a 20-year stint as head coach where he led the Miners to a record of 100-100-10 and three MIAA championships. The 100 wins were the most of any coach in conference history at the time he reached that mark.
Key finished his coaching career at Missouri S&T with a record of 279-278 (he has the most coaching wins in school history) and led the Miners to the 1975-76 MIAA championship and to berths in two NCAA Division II Tournaments. During his tenure, he had two All-America players on the court and three Academic All-America performers.
Sallie Beard will be honored for her nearly 40 years of service at Missouri Southern State University. Beard served Missouri Southern as both a coach and Athletic Director for 37 years before her retirement in 2009. Beard almost single-handedly started up women’s athletics at Missouri Southern when she became the first head coach of the sports of women’s basketball, softball and tennis, and later coached track and field. She was the athletic department’s Women’s Athletic Director for 25 years before being named the first sole Athletic Director at MSSU in 2001.
Harry Gallatin will represent Truman State University in the inaugural Hall of Fame class. Gallatin played basketball between 1946-48 on what a majority of Truman supporters call the greatest two teams in the history of the sport at the university. He was a two-time All-MIAA selection and scored 816 career points in just two years of play (graduated in two years). Gallatin made the NBA All-Pro Team in 1953-54 and 1954-55 while playing with the New York Knicks.
Ken B. Jones will be honored for constructing the foundation for where the MIAA is today. Jones was appointed as the MIAA’s first full-time commissioner in 1981. Under Jones, the MIAA began sponsoring championships in women’s athletics in 1982. He was responsible for expanding the borders of the MIAA into the state of Kansas, thus changing the league’s name from the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
In addition to the 15 individuals being honored, Central Missouri’s 1937 and 1938 NAIB National Championship teams, Southeast Missouri State’s 1943 NAIB National Championship squad and Southwest Missouri State’s 1952 and 1953 NAIB National Championship teams will be also be inducted into the hall of fame.
Central’s 1937 and 1938 championship teams were the first national titles by an MIAA institution. The 1937 squad finished with a 17-3 overall record (9-1 MIAA), won the MIAA Championship and defeated Morningside (Iowa), 35-24 to win the NAIB National Championship.
The 1938 Mules compiled a 24-3 overall record, including a perfect 10-0 mark in MIAA play, to win their second consecutive conference title. They went on to win their second NAIB national title in a row with a 45-30 victory over Roanoke (Va.).
Southeast Missouri State won the 1943 NAIB Championship with a 34-32 win over MIAA foe Northwest Missouri in the finals. Southeast Missouri also won the MIAA Championship that season. The Indians had a 19-6 overall record (8-0 MIAA), winning 19 of their last 21 games en route to the national title.
Southwest Missouri State took home the 1952 and 1953 NAIB Championships. In the 1952 NAIB finals, the Bears defeated Murray State (Ky.) 73-64 to win the title. Southwest Missouri also won the MIAA championship in 1952, posting a 27-5 overall record and a perfect 10-0 conference mark.
The 1953 Bears won their second consecutive MIAA title with a 24-4 overall record (8-2 MIAA), and went on to defend their NAIB National Championship with a 79-71 win over Hamline (Minn.) in the tournament finals.
