Alexander, Dale – Class of 1922
Inducted October 19, 2007

Dale Alexander was a starting tackle and punter for two years in ’21 and ’22, and was the starting center those years on the basketball team.  His high school football skills carried over into college, at Tusculum, and at Milligan where he led the nation in punting in the 1923 season.  Since baseball was not an interscholastic sport at GHS until 1939, Dale did not play his number one sport in high school. He had an illustrious professional baseball playing career from 1923-1939.  In 1929, he joined the Detroit Tigers and had a spectacular season: batting .343 with 215 hits, 110 runs, 137 RBIs, 25 homeruns, 43 doubles and 15 triples.  In 1932, he played his last full season of major league baseball with the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox hitting .367 for the season, which led the American League in batting. An injury in ’33 sent him to the minors for the next years where he continued to hit over .300 in every season. In 1975, Baseball Digest named Dale to the All-Time Major League Baseball Rookie Team, recognizing him for having the best season of any rookie first baseman to ever play the game. Following his playing career as a scout for the New York Giants, he successfully helped send many local baseball players to colleges and professional careers.

Adkisson, Grady – Coach
Inducted October 19, 2007

Grady Adkisson joined the GHS staff in 1928 as a history teacher and football coach.  He laid the groundwork for success in GHS athletics by being hired as the first true football coach.  As coach through the 1933 season, he turned the football program from a constant loser to a 3-3 season in ’31; 5-2 in ’32 and 4-3 in ’33.  Grady also was the boys’ and girls’ basketball coach from the ‘29-’30 school year through the ’33-’34 school year.  Grady moved into administration and turned the coaching duties over to Buddy Hackman beginning with the 1934-’35 school year.  In the fall of ’36, junior high was opened as another Greeneville City School and Grady Atkinson was the first principle.  He formed and coached the first junior high football team that fall.   Following a successful career with the Greeneville school system, Grady moved to the University of Tennessee as Dean of Men where he continued to help GHS students.

Bible, Johnny – Class of 1936
Inducted October 19, 2007

Johnny Bible was tailback for GHS in the 1934-35 football seasons.  The arrival of Coach Ty Disney, who brought Leonard Coffman with him, turned the 1935 Greene Devils into one of the best football teams ever at Greeneville High School with a 9-1 season.  It was the running and passing of Johnny Bible that led the Devils all year.  The contributions of Bible, along with the outstanding punting and defense of Bruce Barnes, and the great offensive and defensive play of Coffman turned the ’35 team into the ace of GHS’ best teams.  Bible died on Monday, October 15, 2007, in Maryville, just five days prior to his induction into the Hall of Fame.  He had intended to attend the induction ceremony on Friday, October 19.

Calkin, Jim – Class of 1949
Inducted October 19, 2007

Jim Calkin moved to Greeneville in the summer of 1947 because his dad had become manager of a manufacturing company.  Since Jim was an Illinois All-State player his sophomore year, he became the catalyst that helped bring boys’ basketball (dropped in 1939) back to the scene as an inter-scholastic sport at Greeneville High School.  Jim was an outstanding center on the basketball team and a pitcher on the baseball team, lettering in both sports for two years.  Utilizing his experience and talent, the GHS baseball team was also re-established (having only been active for the ’39 and’40 seasons).  He carried those two sports for GHS until his graduation in 1949.  Jim turned down a professional baseball contract from Dale Alexander and entered Tusculum College to continue his basketball career.  The Korean War caused his entry into the Air Force.  Following the war and after finishing his college education, Jim entered the business world where he established himself in the insurance business.  All this led him to be the General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks.  Because of Jim’s success as general manager, the Hawks played the first two years in the Georgia Tech gymnasium until the Omni, where they presently play, was finished.  Jim later moved to Maryville Tennessee where he was again associated with GHS as a contributor to GHS athletics, especially in building the baseball batting cage.  Jim died in 2005.

Coffman, Leonard – Class of 1936
Inducted October 19, 2007

Leonard Coffman was brought to Greeneville by Coach Disney who was hired as GHS coach for the ’35-’36 school year.  From the day he arrived in Greeneville, Coach Disney used Coffman, combined with the other good athletes, to turn the athletic program into a highly competitive one on an interscholastic level.   Coffman was a success story.  First, Leonard was a standout fullback and linebacker for GHS football.  Second, as a player at UT for three seasons from 1937-39, Leonard excelled as both a linebacker and fullback. Leonard started both offensively and defensively on the 1938 and 1939 Tennessee teams.  The 1938 team defeated Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and finished as National Football Champion. The 1939 team was undefeated, untied, and unscored upon during the regular season.  They played in the Rose Bowl, losing their only game of the year to the University of Southern California.  Leonard was also attributed as being the first player ever to dive over the line in a goal line offense for a touchdown in the Tennessee - Alabama game in 1938.  Third, Leonard was a captain in the U.S. Army 1^st Corps.  Fourth, he was an assistant football coach on Bowden Wyatt’s staff at the University of Wyoming.   Fifth, he was head coach of GHS football from 1955-59 with a record of 30-19-4, and finally as an administrator and teacher of GHS students until his retirement.  No question that Coach Coffman is a big reason that GHS is recognized as one of the leaders in high school athletics. He has also been inducted into the Benham County High School Hall of Fame, the Northeast Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

Disney, Theodore “Ty” – Coach
Inducted October 19, 2007  

Ty Disney coached both of the undefeated teams in GHS history.  Following a very successful playing career at the University of Tennessee as a tailback, Ty accepted his first coaching job at Benham County High School in Middlesboro Kentucky in the fall of ’33.  For the next two years he had a successful career at Benham County High with Leonard Coffman as one of his players.  Coach Disney was persuaded to come to Greeneville by Dr. C. B. Laughlin, the chairman of the City Board of Education, and brought Leonard Coffman with him.  Coach Disney started a winning tradition in GHS football, by selecting the 11 best defensive players to start on both the offensive and defensive sides. His next concern was selecting the best punter on the squad, and followed that with choosing the best fullback and tailback.  Disney’s coaching strategy was followed by all the GHS football coaches through the end of the ‘59 season.  Coach Disney’s ’35 football team was 9-1, the only loss being 7-6 to Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett.   The ’36 football team had a record of 9-2.  The girls’ basketball team under Coach Disney’s direction was undefeated in 1936-37.  Boys’ basketball did not fair as well, because players were declared ineligible mid-season causing games to be forfeited.  Following the ’36-37 school year, Coach Disney joined Dr. Laughlin at the hospital as a physical therapist and Laird Holt became the coach for the next 3 years.  Coach Disney returned as Coach in 1940, and his 1942 football team was undefeated.  Because the GHS gym had been condemned in 1939, football was the only inter-scholastic sport at GHS from 1939 until the 1947-48 school year.  Disney continued as coach of the football team until he retired after the 1954 season.  Coach Coffman replaced him as head football coach in 1955, and because Coffman needed someone to help him, Coach Disney returned as his assistant in 1957.

Gray, Mary Frances “Happy” Boles – Class of 1938
Inducted October 19, 2007

Happy Boles was a very big reason the 1936-37 girls’ basketball team was one of the two undefeated teams in GHS history, with a record of 18-0 in regular season, 4-0 in the district tournament, and 4-0 in the regional tournament, defeating Bradley County in the finals of the regional 49-44.  Happy was the guard who drew the defensive assignment of the best offensive performer for the team they were playing.  Following her career, she joined Greene County Bank where she worked until her retirement.  She was also a role model in her early years through her work with youth in the church. 

King, James “Bad-eye” – Class of 1944
Inducted October 19, 2007

James King, the starting tailback on the ’42 undefeated football team, carried most of the offensive load for the Greene Devils all year.  In the game that placed GHS in the state championship limelight, against Knox Young a top ten team, Badeye King scored one of two Greene Devil touchdowns. The ’42 Greene Devils, following the opening victory over Erwin, were ranked 8^th in the Litkenhous ratings.  This system, at that time, determined who received the Banner-Litkenhous trophy which was presented annually to the team declared state champion by this rating system.  After the victory over Knox Young, this ‘42 team was ranked at its highest, 6^th in the state, and Knox Young was ranked 9^th.  “Bad-eye” entered into the military shortly after the football season was over.  Bio information is not available for him after the war. 

Mason, Boyd – Class of 1943
Inducted October 19, 2007

Boyd Mason was the wingback and punter on the ’42 undefeated team.  He was a starter on the ’40 and ‘41 teams and was well trained to be a key player and starter on the ’42 team.  In the opening game of the season against Erwin, he averaged 56 yards a punt in the 13-0 victory.  The game that placed GHS in the state championship limelight was against Knox Young. In the 1^st quarter, Mason ran a reverse 75 yards for a touchdown and the extra point was kicked and good.  In the 2^nd quarter, Young recovered a fumble in Greeneville territory and scored on the drive.   The extra point was blocked, leaving Greeneville on top 7-6.  In the second half, Greeneville continued to pick up yardage because of Boyd’s great punting ability. Greeneville started a drive reaching the Young 2 yard line at the end of the 3^rd quarter, with Badeye King scoring after two plays in the beginning of the 4^th quarter.  The extra point was blocked and GHS had the lead 13-6.  After the kick off to Young, Greeneville held and forced a punt.  For the remainder of the game, each time Young punted the ball, Greeneville’s Boyd would immediately punt it back to them on 1^st down.   GHS was moving down field more and more on each punt, until time expired with a final score of 13-6 with Greeneville not allowing Young a first down in the second half.  Following graduation, Boyd entered the military in Tullahoma TN.  Following service, he was a technician for Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma where he retired and still lives today.

McAmis, Agnes – Class of 1938
Inducted October 19, 2007

Agnes McAmis, captain and center of the 1936-37 undefeated girls basketball team, was listed in the newspaper articles and yearbooks as the person who was always there to hold the team together.   After graduating in ’38 and receiving her degree from Tusculum College, she entered the military and made it a career, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel.  She returned to Greeneville after her military career ended, and continued to be very active in sports, giving of her time to both GHS and Tusculum College.  An accomplished golfer, she supported the GHS golf teams financially, and upon her death left an established trust at Tusculum College to be used for golf scholarships.was the wingback and punter on the ’42 undefeated team. 

Noel, Henry W. “Billy” – Class of 1938
Inducted October 19, 2007

Billy Noel was a sophomore starter on the 1935 football team (Disney’s first) with Coffman, Bible, and Barnes.  He continued to be a starting performer on the ’36 team (9-2) and the ’37 team (Laird Holt’s first).  Following graduation in ’38, he moved on to the University of Tennessee where he was a letterman on the football team in 1940 and ‘41.  After serving in the military during WWII, he returned to Greeneville as an assistant coach at Tusculum College. At the end of the ’47 GHS season, the first season played in the new Burley Stadium, Billy coached a group of GHS football alumni from the ’40 -‘41- ‘42 teams against the ’47 Varsity team with proceeds going to finance the new stadium.  Dr. Maggie Yost was his water boy and Bill Doughty was his manager.  GHS varsity won the game 18-14.  Billy stayed at Tusculum as an assistant to Head Coach Marion Edens until Tusculum dropped football.

Pierce, Jack D. “Copper – Class of 1948
Inducted October 19, 2007

Copper Pierce was a three year letterman in football, playing tailback and linebacker, with a team record during those three years of 17-4-1.  He was also a one year letterman in basketball as a guard, and in baseball as an outfielder.   After an outstanding career as an athlete at GHS, he moved on to walk-on at the University of Tennessee where he sustained a shoulder injury in the pre-season of his freshman year.  Copper returned to Greeneville where he attended Tusculum College and played football as linebacker and fullback under Marion Edens, and received his degree in engineering.   Copper continued to live in Greeneville supporting GHS athletics and Tusculum College until his retirement as a field engineer with the State of Tennessee.

Saulsbury, James “Buddy” – Class of 1951
Inducted October 19, 2007

Buddy Saulsbury had a career in football at GHS from 1947-1950 where he was a fullback and one of the best hard nosed linebackers that played for Coach Disney at the old high school, with a team record for those years of 25-9-2.  After completing his career at GHS, Buddy continued to play at a junior college in Mississippi for one year, then transferred to East Tennessee State College from ‘52-‘55 where he finished his college career as fullback and linebacker.  Buddy earned a number of honors at ETSC including All-American status.   Following his playing career, Buddy spent two years in the military during the Korean War.  After military service, he started his teaching and coaching at Rogersville High School under Burleigh Davis.  He moved with Burleigh to Morristown High until the new high school, Morristown West, opened.  There he was West’s first head football coach, enjoying an outstanding coaching career and sending a number of his players to college on scholarship.   Buddy is retired from the Hamblen County School System and still lives in Morristown.   The field at Burke-Toney stadium in Morristown is named Davis-Saulsbury-Siler Field in his honor.

Warden, Eugene “Patcheye” – Class of 1945
Inducted October 19, 2007

Gene Warden was another of the undefeated ’42 team’s outstanding members.  With Warden at fullback, King at tailback, and Boyd Mason at wingback and punter, GHS had plenty of ways to score.  This coupled with the fact that the ’42 team only gave up a total of 12 points for the season, six points to Newport and six to Knox Young.  The Newport points came after Greeneville had scored to go up 21-0 just before half time.  Coach Disney had removed all eleven starters using 11 new people for the kickoff.  Newport ran it back for a touchdown. After the ’42 season “Patcheye” entered the military where he was a glider pilot landing behind the German lines on “D” Day.  When he returned from the war, Patcheye finished requirements for his GHS diploma following which he was signed to a professional baseball contract by Dale Alexander.  He played a couple years in the Carolina League and also was a member of the outstanding Magnavox semi-professional team.  Patcheye then started his career as an X-ray technician at a Kingsport hospital.   He continued to live in Greeneville and support GHS athletics until his death.