27th Annual Awards Dinner October 22, 2015 President’s Message Inductees, Scholarship Recipients, Family and Friends, It is with great honor that I welcome you tonight to our 27nd Annual Newark Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. Since 1988, we have been honoring athletes from public and private schools in and around the City of Newark. Our initial purpose was to focus attention on Newark’s glorious past and it’s bright future by cre- ating a positive environment where friendships, camaraderie and memories can be renewed. Tonight we continue that tradition with eighteen new Inductees, four Scholarship Winners, a Life Time Achievement Award and two State Championship Teams, the 1963 Central Basketball and the 1966 South Side Football Teams The Honorees have proven, as in the past, that they are to be recognized as true role models, a characteristic very much in need these days, whether in a large city or a small town. You can turn to a bio page in this or any one of the previous twenty six books of inductees and find a role model you can be proud to emulate. The hallmarks of a good athlete are dedication, desire, teamwork, hard work, time management and good sportsmanship. These are the same qualities necessary to succeed in the classroom and the workplace. That’s why our Hall of Fame Family of Inductees are to be viewed as success stories, on and off the field. To our Scholarship Award Winners, you have been recognized to possess the characteristics outlined above; therefore, we wish you good fortune in college and hope to see you back here one evening on the dais, as a future Inductee into the Hall of Fame. Tonight we also celebrate Harvey Grimsley as our “Life Time Achievement Award” recipient. He is a true American hero and inspiration to all who have met him. Finally, as Newark has become a hotbed for professional and college sports alike, we must not forget the high school and recreation level athletes and support their efforts. Therefore; we continue our relationships with the teams involved and their connection with the youth of the city. We are proud of our student athletes from the City of Newark. Furthermore, let me thank the members of the NAHF Board, who have worked so tirelessly on making this night the success that it continues to be, and to the attendees out there who support our efforts each and every year. Harry Snyder Class of 2005 October 22, 2015 Dear Inductees: Congratulations on your induction into the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame! As a 22-year-educator in the Newark Public Schools system, I know how impor - tant sports and athletics are in building young minds and bodies. They teach valuableble liffee lessons about sportsmanship, teamwork, discipline, and personal resilience. As Newark’s Chief Executive, I am proud of how these athletes de - fined Newark’s excellence on the playing fields and then in life, serving as role models and mentors as youth and adults. TToonigonight’s special honoree is the great Harvey Grimsleyy,, who played semi-pro baseball in Orange, landed in Normandy on D+1 in 1944 and served in the US Army in combat in Europe, and then excelled as a Rutgers University ffoootball star. After that, he became a teacher in the Newark Public Schools, and then our City’s first frA ican-American athletic coach when he became Assistant Football Coach at South Side – now Malcolm X Shabazz – High School. From there, he went on to coach in Piscataway and serve as a recruiter and counselor at Gov - ernor’s State University in Illinois. He is truly one of Newark’sRenaissance men. I also want to extend my best wishes to the other honorees: John Brooks, Clif - ford L. Christian, Nicholas F. Colangelo, Ronald Ferry, Jamillah Jabbar-Robinson, Athelstan E. Nelson, Sr., Aulcie Perryy,, Jamal Pierce, Robert Hockaday Robinson, Kendall W. Southerland, Philip TTaaylorlorr,, George Watson, Kcyied Zahirahirr,, AL-Mu’assis Karriem ABdAllah, Dr. Wayne S. Fisherr,, Morris Griffin, .,Sr Rev. Paul F.X. Huberr,, Robert Leblein, and the Central High School Men’s Basketball TTeeam of 1962- 1963 and the South Side High School Football TTeeam of 1966. I welcome you into the brotherhood and sisterhood of the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame, as it marks its 27th anniversary. YYoour excellence has powered our ef - forts to transffoorm Newark into a City we can all believe in. All thee best! Mayor OFFICE OF THE MAAYYOR 920 BROAD STREET, RM 200 • NEWARK, NJ 07102 TEL: (973) 733-6400 • FAX (973) 733- 3711 The Newark Athletic Hall of Fame Board Members Would Like to Recognize and Thank All Who Have Contributed to the General Scholarship Fund Joe Abruzzese / Discovery Communications Scott Allen Fleeta Barnes Jim Catullo Geri Coles Frank Cosentino Dexter Cumberlander Ollie Dickerson Milton Gaylord Enrico ( Rick ) Giancola John Gibbons Gold Hat. Inc. Gary W. Hayes Isaiah Jackson, Jr. Robert “Shahid” Jackson Marcellus King Jorge M. Lopes Windy McGriff National Basketball Trainers Assoc. Foundation Neil Rasbury Autrey Reynolds Sanford Salz Harry Snyder Charles Talley John Thomas Timothy A. Walsh You Make a Difference Board President Dinner Committee Harry Snyder Fleeta Barnes Dinner Chairman Ron Cordoso Larry Clark Honorable Joseph N. DiVincenzo Ollie Dickerson Essex County Executive Lester Fusco Dr. F. Kennedy Gordon Dinner Co-Chairs Gary Hayes Irvin B. Hill Timothy Jennings Geri Woods Coles Marcellus King James Catullo Winthrop McGriff Leonard Moore Autrey Reynolds Peter Rubas Charles Talley John Thomas Timothy Walsh Gary Westberry President Emeritis * Jerome Greco * Louis Dell’Ermo Vice President Emeritis * Arthur Coles, III * Deceased Newark Athletic Hall of Fame 2015 Inductees Performers Category Inductees High School John Brooks Barringer Clifford L. Christian Science Nicholas F. Colangelo St. Benedicts Prep. Ronald Ferry Weequahic Jamillah Jabbar-Robinson Science Athelstan E. Nelson, Sr. * Barringer Aulcie Perry West Side Jamal Pierce Central Robert Hockaday Robinson Weequahic Kendall W. Southerland Irvington Philip Taylor West Side George Watson Weequahic Kcyied Zahir Arts Achievers Category Inductees High School AL-Mu'assis Karriem ABdAllah South Side Wayne S. Fisher, PhD College High Prep. Morris Griffin, Sr.* Central Rev. Paul F.X. Huber, O.S.B. * St. Benedicts Prep. Robert Leblein West Side LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Harvey Grimsley ~ Orange High School ~ Rutgres Univerity ~ Newark Teacher/Coach TEAM AWARDS 1962-1963 Central High School Men's Basketball Team 1966 South Side High School Football Team PROGRAM Call to Order ................................................................................................Autrey Reynolds Inductees Procession.............................................................Charles Talley and Gary Hayes Introduction of Minister Onaje Crawford .....................................................Ollie Dickerson Invocation.......................................................................................Minister Onaje Crawford “America the Beautiful”.........................................................................................Ambiance “Lift Every Voice and Sing”...................................................................................Ambience Welcome Remarks ............................................................................................Harry Snyder Master Of Ceremonies .................................................................................... Tim Capstraw Introduction of Past Inductees and Dignitaries .............................................Ollie Dickerson SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS Discovery Communications Scholarship – Male Athlete ...............Joe Abruzzese, Discover Isiah Odom, University HS Newark Athletic Hall of Fame Scholarship – Female Athlete .............Harry Snyder, NAHF Yaminah Smith, Weequahic HS National Basketball Trainers Assoc. Scholarship Male Scholar-Athlete Francis Addae Barringer HS .....................................................Jim Catullo, Barringer Alum National Basketball Trainer’s Assoc. Scholarship Female Scholar-Athlete Ivana Negron, Malcolm X. Shaabazz HS ............................Tim Jennings, South Side Alum TEAM INDUCTIONS 1966 South Side Football Team 1963 Central Basketball Team DINNER IS SERVED Musical Tribute to Inductees ..................................................................................Ambiance Lifetime Achievement Award, Harvey Grimsley...........................................Marcellus King Introduction of the Class of 2015.....................................................................Tim Capstraw Closing Remarks .................................................................Harry Snyder, President, NAHF John Brooks Barringer High School Kansas Wesleyan University John Brooks has been with the Gramon Family of Schools for special needs children for 16 years, working in several capacities at all three schools, The Gramon School, Glenview Academy and New Beginnings. He currently is Transportation Coordinator, Staff Coordinator, Disaster team leader, senior advisor and student support leader at Gramon. John has been working with special needs children/adults for 30 years. He has worked in Kansas at the Cerebral Palsy center of Salina. He has been a mentor at the Newark summer jobs program. He also worked as a morning and aftercare director for the Montclair YMCA and director for teens in 1996-1999 at their camp. In 2000, John was asked to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa as a missionary to speak to 3000 young people about conflict resolution and peer pressure.