Second class ready for induction into UAHS Hall of Fame
Raymond A. Parson, Class of 1966, will be one of 12 individuals and one team enshrined into the Uniontown Area High School Academics, Arts and Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 13.
Ray Gillian, Class of 1966, is one of 12 individuals and one team to be enshrined into the Uniontown Area High School Academics, Arts and Athletics Hall of Fame.
The second class of the Uniontown Area High School Academics, Arts and Athletics Hall of Fame is set for induction the weekend of Sept. 12-13 with 12 individuals and one team to be enshrined.
The 2014 athletics inductees include:
鈥� Charley Hyatt, Class of 1926 (deceased 1978): Hyatt was the star of the UHS 1925 state championship basketball team and a member of the 1926 WPIAL championship squad. The Red Raidres made it to the semifinals of the National Scholastic Tournament in Chicago in 1925. Hyatt was a three-year All-American basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh when the Panthers were the National Champions for two seasons. He led the nation in scoring twice while at Pitt. With professional basketball just developing, Charley played AAU basketball after Pitt and was named an AAU All-American seven times. He was the first college player elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Hyatt served in the Army Air Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant in WWII.
Pitt is currently renovating their locker room at the Petersen Events Center and Hyatt鈥檚 photograph will be prominently featured along with other Pitt all-time greats.
鈥� Ray Gillian, Class of 1966: Gillian was a member of the 1965 WPIAL championship football team and played basketball, as well. He played football at Ohio State under Woody Hayes. The Buckeyes captured the 1969 national title with a win over USC and OJ Simpson in the Rose Bowl game. Gillian scored a touchdown in that victory. Gillian was a prominent administrator at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University before his retirement.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled to be inducted,鈥� Gillian said. 鈥淭he things that I learned in Uniontown will always stick with me. Any success that I鈥檝e had comes from that foundation in Uniontown and particularly from the East End of Uniontown.鈥�
鈥� Raymond A. Parson, Class of 1966: Parson was a member of the 1964 PIAA champion basketball team and the 1965 WPIAL champion football team. Parson played football at the University of Minnesota where in 1969 he captured All-Big Ten Honors and the Bronko Nagerski Award as the team鈥檚 MVP. Parson was drafted by the Detroit Lions and played in the World Football League.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great honor,鈥� Parson stated. 鈥淥n top of that going in with the second class I think is a phenomenal feat for Gillian and myself and the rest of the inductees because there were some great athletes to come out of Uniontown. I certainly didn鈥檛 get this honor just by my own talents, there were many people involved in me being a Hall of Famer from Uniontown.鈥�
Parson and Gillian represent the 鈥淕olden Era鈥� of Uniontown High School athletics.
鈥淥ur class, the 1966 class, probably was the end of the Golden Era,鈥� Gillian stated. 鈥淭he era from 1956 through 1966. Prior to that Uniontown had been very good, but that 10-year stretch I think we won more championships than any other decade, and I鈥檓 just pleased to be a part of that.鈥�
Gillian was also excited that he and Parson are linked and going into the Hall of Fame together.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 imagine going in unless he was with me or prior to me,鈥� Gillian explained. 鈥淎gain, we had played together from the earliest days. We were on a team in fifth grade called the EE Bulls and some of us think it was probably the greatest fifth grade team ever. It included Ray and Wilfred Minor, Ed Parson and Trip Radcliffe. The five of us organized a team in my attic and figured out our names and created our on uniforms. We all went down to Murphy鈥檚 and bought the iron on EE Bulls and put it on a tee shirt and that was our uniform.鈥�
鈥� Bill Power, Coaches category: Power was born in 1916, raised in Burgettstown and died in 2006. He attended college at Washigton & Jefferson College and started teaching at Uniontown in 1948. Power coached football 1948-62. Uniontown Stadium is named after Power and he has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame and the Fayette County 缅北禁地 Hall of Fame.
鈥淐oach Power, I didn鈥檛 have a chance to play under him,鈥� Gillian offered. 鈥淏ut many of the people who played before me talked about what a great coach he was and he was the athletic director there when I was a player.鈥�
鈥淗e was a great coach,鈥� Parson opined. 鈥淎 lot of great players came under coach Power, myself included. He had left coaching by the time we left Lafayette Junior High to come to the high school. He was AD. He helped put Uniontown football on the map.鈥�
鈥� 1925 PIAA champion basketball team, Team Inductee: The 1925 squad also made it to the semifinals of the National Scholastic Tournament in Chicago. They were coached by the legendary A.J. Everhart Sr. Members of that team included Charles Hyatt, Lester Cohen, Joseph Hackney, Marcus Rankin, Cecil Connelly, George (Jock) Adams, I.N. Hagan, John S (Bus) Albright, Robert McBurney, Charles (Red) Miller, and Harry Phillips
鈥� Harry Fee, Class of 1966, Athletics Special Recognition: Fee played tackle and placekicked at Uniontown and was named to the Fayette County All Stars. Fee鈥檚 size got him the nickname 鈥淢oose鈥� and he played alongside his brother, Albert 鈥淓lk鈥� Fee. Fee was an outstanding and respected booster president for 20 years and fundraiser for 30. Uniontown presents the Harry C. Fee Scholarship annually for a deserving student-athlete.
鈥� 2014 Academics inductees include: Pamela Jubin Balch (1968), Michele J. Hooper (1969), Judge Nancy D. Vernon (1973), and Administrator J. Vernon 鈥淗appy鈥� Crawford (1928, deceased).
鈥� 2014 Arts Inductees: George J. Esper (1949, deceased 2012), Rich Rosendale (1994), and Julie Sages Turrentine (1968).
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 outstanding,鈥� Gillian said. 鈥淢any of those people deserve recognition and have not received it, at least publicly as we know it, and I think it鈥檚 great.鈥�
The 2014 class will be honored before the Uniontown-Belle Vernon football game on Sept. 12. The class will be inducted Sept. 13 at 7:45 a.m. Induction Ceremony/Breakfast at the Uniontown High School Cafeteria and Auditorium. Tickets for the Uniontown Area High School Academics, Arts and Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony/Breakfast are $20 and can be purchased by phoning Anthony Mercadante at (724) 430-0662. Tickets can be purchased at the door.