• Frank Garcia
  Coach, Basketball 1972

Although he coaching career was cut short at the relatively young age of 38, this great player lived long enough to see his teams become perhaps the best in the history of Akron sandlot baseball. For times his teams won the Ohio Amateur Baseball Congress championship and twice they came within a victory of winning the national championship. As a player he was good enough to be signed by three major league clubs - the Yanks, the Phillies and the Cards. He even had a fling at pro basketball with the old Cleveland Alleman Transfers. In 1945 he led the Akron Orphans to the National Amateur Baseball Federation Championship and he was named the tournament's outstanding player. Four times his teams won the Greater Akron title.

• Ruby Loy
  Bowling 1972

Bowling was always Ruby's first love and although she never realized her dream of bowling a 300 game, she has won many championships and honors. She began bowling in 1937 and was recognized as one of the greatest in the Akron area. in 1955, in the prime of her career, she finished third in the National Women's Singles Championships. That same year she was Bowler of the Year in the Akron area. Five times she was named to the B-J All-Star Team and in 1952 she went right to the top by teaming with Emma Schreiber to win the Central State Women's Doubles Championship.

• Andy Maluke
  Wrestling, Football, Coach 1972

During his days as an athlete at Akron U in the late 30's and early 40's he was a great star in football, wrestling and swimming. In both 1940 and '41 he was named first team All-Ohio Conference in wrestling, and in '41 he was named first team All-Ohio in football. After a stint in the service during World War II Maluke returned to the Hilltop in 1946 as instructor in physical education and an assistant football coach. His coaching career at Akron spanned 19 years in football in which he served under five coaches; 19 years as head wrestling coach in which his teams won 100 matches. It was largely due to Maluke's efforts that wrestling became an Ohio Conference varsity sport in 1954.

• Ron Negray
  Baseball 1972

He first gained fame at Garfield High School where he was an All-City forward and certainly the standout pitcher in the city in his day. The record books show he lost only two games in four years at Garfield. At least twice his teams went to the state finals. He was signed by the Dodgers in 1949 and had a good many years of kicking around the minors. In 1952, he pitched for the old Brooklyn Dodgers ... was traded to the Phillies in '55 and three years later was back with the Dodgers, now located in Los Angeles, where he closed out his career. His best season was compiling a 4-3 record with the Phillies in 1955 in 19 appearances.

• Phil Dienoff
  Track & Field, Coach 1972

South High was the beginning of Dienoff's athletic career. He participated in football and basketball and ran track, setting a new state record in the mile run of 4:29. He entered Syracuse on an athletic scholarship and quickly finished first in the National Freshman Cross Country Championships. He returned to Akron and completed in track, baseball and basketball. In 1937 he took over at Garfield High where he coached baseball, golf, swimming and tack. During his 20-year stint, Dienoff's baseball team won the City Championship 10 times, the District Title seven times and two regional championships.

• Robert L. White
  Coach 1972

A man who literally devoted a lifetime to sports and to athletes, Bob White decided he was going to be a teacher and a coach and nearly 47 years later he was able to retire and look back on a career that is almost unparalleled in the history of Akron schools. In White's first year at North High in 1935, the Vikings won their first state basketball title. He became track coach and as an assistant to the late Lu Hosfield, he saw another state title in '39. In fact, in 37 years at North, as cross country, track and basketball coach, White saw his teams win five state cross country titles and one state track championship.

• Larry Brown
  Basketball 1972

Brown, McCaffrey and Davies were inducted together as a group because of together they brought lasting fame to Goodyear and to the City of Akron by helping the United States basketball team win the gold medal in the 1964 Olympics. Each one of the three has been a great champion at his respective college before coming to Goodyear - one at Louisiana State, one at St. Louis and the other at North Carolina. Larry Brown was one of the great playmakers in the history of North Carolina basketball - winning the most valuable player award in the Denver Tourney. In 1966 he joined the pros and was named the most valuable player in the ABA All-Star Game. Pete McCaffrey captained the St. Louis University team and was named All-Missouri Calley in his senior year. Later became a member of the U.S. Pan American Games Team. He was one of the great scorers in Goodyear history, finishing his basketball playing days with the Wingfoots. The other members of our gold medal winning threesome, Davies, is a native of Harrisburg, PA., who went on to LSU where he captained some of their great teams and came to Goodyear where he helped the Wingfoots win the '64 national championships.

• Pete McCaffrey
  Basketball 1972

Brown, McCaffrey and Davies were inducted together as a group because of together they brought lasting fame to Goodyear and to the City of Akron by helping the United States basketball team win the gold medal in the 1964 Olympics. Each one of the three has been a great champion at his respective college before coming to Goodyear - one at Louisiana State, one at St. Louis and the other at North Carolina. Larry Brown was one of the great playmakers in the history of North Carolina basketball - winning the most valuable player award in the Denver Tourney. In 1966 he joined the pros and was named the most valuable player in the ABA All-Star Game. Pete McCaffrey captained the St. Louis University team and was named All-Missouri Calley in his senior year. Later became a member of the U.S. Pan American Games Team. He was one of the great scorers in Goodyear history, finishing his basketball playing days with the Wingfoots. The other members of our gold medal winning threesome, Davies, is a native of Harrisburg, PA., who went on to LSU where he captained some of their great teams and came to Goodyear where he helped the Wingfoots win the '64 national championships.

• Dick Davies
  Basketball 1972

Brown, McCaffrey and Davies were inducted together as a group because of together they brought lasting fame to Goodyear and to the City of Akron by helping the United States basketball team win the gold medal in the 1964 Olympics. Each one of the three has been a great champion at his respective college before coming to Goodyear - one at Louisiana State, one at St. Louis and the other at North Carolina. Larry Brown was one of the great playmakers in the history of North Carolina basketball - winning the most valuable player award in the Denver Tourney. In 1966 he joined the pros and was named the most valuable player in the ABA All-Star Game. Pete McCaffrey captained the St. Louis University team and was named All-Missouri Calley in his senior year. Later became a member of the U.S. Pan American Games Team. He was one of the great scorers in Goodyear history, finishing his basketball playing days with the Wingfoots. The other members of our gold medal winning threesome, Davies, is a native of Harrisburg, PA., who went on to LSU where he captained some of their great teams and came to Goodyear where he helped the Wingfoots win the '64 national championships.

• Elmore Banton
  Track & Field 1972

Cross country became Banton's specialty and at Ohio U he set a flock of records that still stamp him as one of the greatest ever to come out of Ohio. While a freshman he won the Notre Dame individual title as well as the Central Collegiate Freshman Championships. As a sophomore he led the Bobcats to the All-Ohio Team Championships. He liked the hills and dales of the cross country courses in this part of the country and it was on the particularly hilly four mile course at Michigan where he won the NCAA Championship in 1964. Twice during his career "Mo" was named to the All-American cross country team, finished as number one runner in the nation as a junior and the number two man in his senior year.

• Mike Fernella

Football, Basketball 1972

Holds the distinction of being the first Akron U player to be named to an All-American team and one of a handful of athletes in Akron history who have played on a state high school championship basketball team. In 1935 he was an All-City basketball and football player at North High being named captain of the All-City football team in his senior year and winning 10 letters during his years with the Vikings. He went on to earn nine letters on the Hilltop ... three each in football, basketball and track. Following the 1938 season Fernella was named honorable mention on one of the All-American teams. At the end of his Akron U career he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles but decided to forego a pro career.

• Tom Dingle

Football 1972

At East High and Wooster College he set the tone for his football career. The first time Dom Patella, East High coach, turned him loose against Garfield he ran 60 yards for a touchdown! And the first time they handed him the ball as a freshman at Wooster, he went 40 yards for a touchdown! When inducted he held ten football records at Wooster and he ranks in the Top Ten of the All-Time College Division rushers in football history. Dingle carried the ball 613 times during his 4-year career with the Scots for 3,012 yards. In 1956 against Oberlin he rushed for 240 yards and scored six touchdowns. He scored 45 touchdowns and 293 career points at Wooster - all records. Three times he made the All-Ohio Conference team and in 1957 won the coveted Mike Gregory Award, the highest award in the conference, and was named Little All-American that same year.

• Bob Addis

Baseball 1972

Graduating from Barberton in 1943, Addis went on to play minor league and major league baseball with 15 teams during the next 12 years - finishing with a lifetime batting average of .304. His biggest claim to fame was winning the American Association batting title in 1950 with the old Milwaukee Brewers. He hit .323 that year and won his way right into the major leagues! Before he hung up the cleats he played with Chicago and Washington in the American League, plus Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago and closed out his career in 1953 with Pittsburgh in the National League.