Tulsa Public Schools to Honor 13 Into the Class of 2020 Hall of Fame
By TERRELL LESTER
Editor at Large
A total of 13 new names will be etched into the pages of Tulsa’s high school history book on January 30.
The eighth class of Tulsa Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame will be honored during a banquet at the DoubleTree Tulsa at Warren Place.
All nine TPS public schools are represented in the Class of 2020, announced earlier this month by Gil Cloud, TPS director of athletics.
“The class is an interesting, diverse group,” he said, pointing out that professional careers of honorees range from auto racing and coaching to international basketball stardom and internet startup.
One honoree, Joe Shoulders, will be inducted posthumously.
The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at DoubleTree Tulsa at Warren Place at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30. Tickets are $100 per plate, $1,000 per table. Reservations can be made through Lisa Norman, TPS Athletics Department, 918.746.6453.
The honorees:
Jim Benien, Central, 1968. Won nine varsity letters in football, basketball, track and tennis. Became widely known for racquetball success in 1970s. Developed Tulsa’s first private racquetball clubs, Jim Benien Courts, and launched All American Fitness and Racquetball Center.
Ebi Ere, McLain, 1999. All-State Basketball co-Player of the Year in 1999, helped lead University of Oklahoma to Final Four in 2002.
Performed at all-league levels in Australia, Italy, Spain, France and Uruguay since 2003. In 2006 and 2009, was member of Nigerian national team.
Emmett Hahn, Webster, 1958. Competed in swimming and football at Webster but better known in car racing. Won five season titles during 1970s driving stock cars at Tulsa Speedway. Co-founder in 1987 and promoter of Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa. Also founded American Sprint Car Series.
Lisa Barry Berg, Edison, 1974. Dominated youth tennis circuit before even reaching Edison, earning top five Missouri Valley rankings in the 1960s. Women’s coach at Oral Roberts University (1979-81). Tennis director at Rafael Racquet Club in San Rafael, California, since 1989.
Wally Knapp, Rogers, 1949. All-State baseball player at Rogers, coached Webster to 1958 and 1959 baseball state championships. Moved to Hale when school opened in 1959 as head baseball coach (nine years), golf coach (12 years), basketball coach (11 years) and director of athletics (five years).
Lawrence Lane, Central, 1966. Since 1971 known as “The Voice of the Hornets” as public address announcer at S.E. Williams Stadium. Playing basketball for Eddie Sutton, became known as “Night Train.” During 38 years in education, served as president of Union Classroom Teachers Association.
Jim Linn, Hale, 1964. All-City in baseball, basketball and football. All-State quarterback led team to state runner-up finish in 1963. Played on winning Orange Bowl team (1968) at Oklahoma. Earned juris doctor degree at OU, spent 28 years in oil and gas contract drilling industry with Parker Drilling.
Emmit J. McHenry, Washington, 1962. Collected 12 varsity letters in football, wrestling and tennis. Has been an integral partner in founding numerous companies, foremost being Network Solutions, the internet domain services provider. Wrote the first .com code for the internet as we know it today.
Jason Parker, Memorial, 2000. Memorial’s all-time scoring leader and basketball All-Stater. Played in 133 career games for University of Tulsa, five professional seasons in Italy, Greece, Russia. Director of Athletics for Monte Cassino School (2013-15) and Sapulpa Public Schools (2015-19) and currently in Muskogee.
Vincent Orange, Webster, 1977. Winner of nine varsity letters in football, basketball and track. All-State running back, All-City Back of the Year in 1976. Played three seasons at Oklahoma State University. An ordained minister, also has more than 25 years of global experience as manufacturing and operations executive.
Jim Shields, Coach. California native coached East Central to wrestling state championship in 1977 and Bishop Kelley in 1985. Has been assistant coach at Edison since 2015. Won Big Eight Conference title at Oklahoma State at 177 pounds in 1971. Member of Oklahoma Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Joe Shoulders, East Central, 1943. Was assistant basketball coach at McLain when school opened in 1959. Elevated to head coach in 1962. Was director of athletics and chair of math department. Member of Oklahoma Coaches Association and Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association halls of fame. Died in April 2014.
Bobby Jack Stuart, Rogers, 1944. State sprint gold medalist in 100 and 200 as senior, then played on TU’s 1945 Orange Bowl championship football team. Drafted into Army and appointed to West Point, played on Army’s 1945 national championship team. All-American at Army 1948. Drafted by two NFL teams, Los Angeles in 1948 and Cleveland in 1949, but instead served in Air Force for seven years. Chairman of the Board of J.D. Young Company.
