Shortly after the 1981 basketball season, several members of the Thanksgiving Tournament committee discussed the need for special recognition for all athletes at Quincy High School. They suggested the idea of a Sports Hall of Fame. F. Randy McFarland, Gus Traeder (inducted to the Hall of Fame in '90), athletic director Bill Gross (Hall of Fame '92) and Dick Heitholt (Hall of Fame '88), principal at QHS formed a committee to act on this idea. Randy McFarland became the first chairman and held that position until 1987, when Mike Schuttler, (Hall of Fame '92), took his place.
Other members of the original "selection committee" were Don Sloan, (Hall of Fame '84, and '89, William G. Keller, Angelo Rinchiuso, Sherry Anders, Rob Groves('01) and Chuck Brady ('99).
Current selection committee consist of Kerry Anders('93), Becky Gengenbacher ('95), Jennifer Neally, John Potts('00), George Spear('92), Jose Quintero, Dick Wentura, Max Miller, Matt Schuckman, Terry Ellerman, Ken McColez and Steve Niederhauser. By-laws determine who is eligible for induction and criteria to meet.
The boys Thanksgiving Basketball Tournament committee agreed to fund the Hall of Fame and pay for the plaques and pins given to each inductee until the Hall of Fame became self-supporting.
For years, a room to honor the inductees was abandoned due to lack of funds and someone to lead the project. Mike Schuttler asked architects Meyer & Peter Inc. to donate their services and design a Sports Hall of Fame to be built in the grassy area to the north west of Blue Devil gymnasium. During the spring of 1992, he approached the school board with the plans and drawings, requesting permission to build the room. The board agreed to the idea providing that no school funds be used and that work would not start until the funds were in place. Next, he formed a building committee of W.S. Bill Black, Sherrill Hanks (Hall of Fame '85), William Keller, George Spear (Hall of Fame '92), Harry Hall (Hall of Fame '84), Richard Heitholt (Hall of Fame '88), H.W. Knapheide III (Hall of Fame '89) and El Tappe (Hall of Fame '84) to discuss ideas for fund raising.
Following the committee's recommendations, chairman Schuttler made hundreds of phone calls and mailed over three hundred letters to individuals and businesses asking for money, materials and/or labor. In return, their name would be placed on a plaque in the Hall of Fame room when completed. Quincy and the surrounding area responded. Construction started in the summer of 1992. Volunteers painted walls, Dean Selvy and Ed Schuette built the framing for the windows; others cleaned and scrubbed working days and evenings to complete the work.
The room finally opened to the public for the first time on Thanksgiving, 1992. It was bare except for two tables displaying some of the trophies, and the plaques were there to thank those who donated the funds, labor and material as promised. A glass box for donations was set up in the room and is still receiving cash and checks.
In 1993, School superintendent George Meyer suggested that a separate board of directors be formed for the Hall of Fame room to govern and maintain it. Carl Ryalnder served as its first chairman, Dean Selvy (Hall of Fame '97), as Secretary, Harold Knapheide as Treasurer. Other members were Gary Noel, Mike Moyers, Craig Weyermann, Mike Schuttler, Ed Schuette, Bruce Thomas, Ted Pollock, Tom Wesley and athletic director Lee Pappas. Tom Wesley served as chairman '94-'96 and Mike Schuttler served as Secretary. Currently, Mike Schuttler is chairman, Mike Moyers is vice chairman, Craig Weyermann is secretary and Harold Knapheide is Treasurer.
Current directors are Ken McColez (Chairman), Carl Rylander (Vice-Chairman), Terry Traeder (Treasurer), Jeff McColez (Secretary), Bill Sanders (QHS A.D.), Jim McGinn, Stacie McColez, Bruce Thomas, Jerry Robbins, Steve Niederhauser, Angie McColez, Kerry Anders, and Kyle Cookson. Each committee is governed by a separate set of by-laws.
The board is a working board, both literally and figuratively. By Thanksgiving 1993, the first set of trophy cabinets was installed along with some furniture made by Dean Selvy. In 2000 the committee installed new cases under the windows to expand the amount that could be displayed.
During construction of the Sports Hall of Fame, it was decided to take the old trophy case across from the Hall of Fame room and convert it into a concession area. The funds and labor for this also came from the Hall of Fame Room Board. In addition, the board put up pictures of the 1934 and 1981 QHS boy's basketball state championship teams in the area south east of the gymnasium.
Thanksgiving 1994 saw little change to the room, but in 1995, two large picture albums were added to tell the story of each inductee. It took almost two years, but by 1996 the pictures were in place.
In 1997 we officially celebrate the grand opening of the Quincy Blue Devil Sports Hall of Fame. Thanks to financial help, donated time, material and labor of many people, the committee's dream begun in 1992 is now complete, and in the good hands of a very hard working Hall of Fame Room Board of Directors.
The Sports Hall of Fame board holds a Class A basketball tournament at Blue Devil gymnasium each year as their only major fundraiser.
The QHS SPORTS HALL OF FAME went on line to the World Wide Web in the fall of 1998 and can be found at www.QuincyBlueDevilsSportsHallofFame.com. Please visit us on the Web. You can email us at quincybluedevils@adams.net. Also on FaceBook at Link.
We hope that all will enjoy the room, and that future athletes will visit and dream of the day their picture or name will be added to the Hall of Fame. |
