Ten new members selected to UAPB's Hall

Special to the Commercial

TEN NEW MEMBERS SELECTED TO UAPB’S HALL

An Olympic athlete, a pair of women’s basketball pioneers and two of the most respected coaches in the history of Arkansas high school athletics will be among ten new members comprising the 2007 class of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Sports Hall of Fame.

The late Charles “Pop” Spearman came to Arkansas AM&N in 1951 after graduating from LeMoyne-Owen College and quickly became a fixture for over three decades in the Golden Lion Athletic Department. Spearman was the head football coach for the Golden Lions from 1956 to 1961. His ‘60 team went 6-5, the most wins for a Golden Lion team since 1948. He also was a longtime fixture with the Golden Lions baseball team, leading that program from 1954 to 1977.

The late Allie Freeman, Jr. was a football pioneer of sorts. Freeman helped bring football back to the Arkansas AM&N campus after play was suspended during World War II. After a two-year hiatus, the Golden Lions fielded their first team since 1941 and Freeman was an intrical part of that ‘44 squad. In 1946, AM&N exploded onto the scene with an 8-2-1 record and with Freeman, who was captain of the squad leading the way.

Oliver Elders attended AM&N College from 1950-’54 and would later forge one of the most impressive High School basketball coaching careers in the state of Arkansas. When he retired in 1993, he was the most successful high school basketball coach in Arkansas history with 656 wins and 305 losses.

Caesar Belser was one of the first recognized AM&N football players to have a successful playing career in the professional ranks. Belser who was named to the All-SWAC team in both 1965 and 1966 played professionally for the Washington Redskins and the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL and for the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL.

Jesse Mason, a 1960 graduate of AM&N College, was one of the most exciting basketball players of his day. He earned All-SWAC honors in basketball in 1958, 1959 and 1960, was the captain of the Golden Lion basketball team during his senior year and won the scoring title in during the 1959-’60 season.

Roy Wade, who was a two-year letterman and an All-SWAC performer from 1960-’64, carved out quite a name for himself at Little Rock Hall High School from 1969-2005.

Demetrica Thomas, a 1997 graduate of UAPB, was one of the best women’s Track & Field performers in the history of the university. Thomas was a 1995 NAIA All-American in the Long Jump, 4x100 Meter Relay and Long Jump.

It’s ironic that both Susan Weaver-Vasser and Helen Hughes-Smith are inducted together as the pair played important roles on the Lionettes’ basketball squads of the late 70’s. Both led UAPB to Arkansas Women’s Intercollegiate Sports Association championships and both would be drafted by the Women’s Professional Basketball League upon the conclusion of their college careers.

Aaron Harris simply tore up the track in the early 70’s as a member of the successful AM&N/UAPB Track and Field team. He was an NAIA All-American in both 1971 and 1973 as he was honored for his performances in both the 60-yard Dash and the 440 Relay Team. Harris established school records in the 100-Meter Dash, tied the school record for the 200-Meter dash and received the Outstanding Athlete Award in 1973.