West Virginia Universitys School of Physical Education will induct two graduates into its 2006 Hall of Fame and honor two others as Outstanding Alumni at Fridays (Sept. 29) 19th anniversary ceremony at Erickson Alumni Center.
A reception will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m., with a formal induction ceremony to follow. The public is invited.
Those being inducted in the Hall of Fame are: Sandra Elmore, chair of the Department of Physical Education at West Virginia University Institute of Technology, and retired WVU womens tennis coach Martha Thorn.
Being honored as the Schools 2006 Outstanding Alumni are: Margaret AnnPeggyBahnsen, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and former chair of the Schools Visiting Committee, and Memphis Grizzlies CEO and former NBA great Jerry West, who recently received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater.
This years class of 2006 inductees, Sandra Elmore and Martha Thorn, represents nationally recognized intercollegiate athletic coaches and administrators,said Dean Dana Brooks.The School of Physical Education is proud to add the names of this years class of inductees to its growing list of outstanding alumni.
He added,The two outstanding distinguished alumni represent outstanding military leadership and stellar professional basketball talents and administrative expertise. We are also proud to welcome them into our elite group.
Ninety alumni have previously been inducted into the Schools Hall of Fame, Brooks noted.
In addition, the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) will receive the 2006 Deans Service Award for its involvement and support of the Dance Dance Revolution Program.
Nidia Henderson, wellness coordinator, WV PEIA , will accept the award on behalf of the agency.
The WVU School of Physical Education and the West Virginia Motor Development Center, under the leadership of Ware Distinguished Professor Dr. Linda Carson, along with PEIA , Konami Digital Entertainment, Mountain State Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Acordia and the West Virginia Governors Office have joined efforts to place DDR video games in all public West Virginia middle and high schools to increase studentsphysical activity.
Sandra Elmore
Dr. Sandra Elmore earned her B.S. degree from Glenville State College in 1973, and received both her M.S. (1975) and Ed.D. (1989) in physical education from West Virginia University. Elmore coached basketball, track and tennis teams at the secondary level at both Ravenswood High School and Clay County High School. She became the first female in the state of West Virginia to serve as an athletic director at a WVIAC school that administered football. She has served students in higher education in West Virginia for more than 28 years as a professor; assistant womens basketball coach at WVU , head womens basketball coach at Potomac State College, and director of athletics and chair of the Department of Physical Education at West Virginia University Institute of Technology. She established the Sandra J. Elmore Womens Basketball Endowed Scholarship at Potomac State in 1994, and was instrumental in developing the Athletic Coaching Education program at WVU Tech, where it has emerged as one of the largest and fastest growing programs on the campus by maintaining a high standard of quality and academic excellence. Additionally, Elmore has served on many committees and special assignments, with focus areas including Title IX, athletic scholarship awards, extreme sports and head coaching position search committees. She has served on the YWCA and the West Virginia National Girls and Women in Sport Association Boards of Directors and has received various grant awards on behalf of WV Institute of Technology. Dr. Sandra Elmore resides in Nitro.
Martha Thorn
Martha Thorn earned a B.S. in health, physical education and general sciences from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va., in 1959. She received an M.S. in health, physical education from WVU in 1963. Thorn was named head womens tennis coach at WVU in 1973 and served in this capacity until November 2000. Thorn guided the womens tennis team to an overall record of 273-180-1, achieving the Top Five Big East Team award. She was one of three original coaches of womens sports at WVU and coached the first womens intercollegiate team to compete for WVU . She served as Voting Representative for the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (before the NCAA ) and participated in establishing guidelines for womens intercollegiate athletics. At the state and regional levels, Thorn has offered her time and talents on various committees including the Atlantic Ten Tennis Committee, co-chair of the Atlantic Ten Volleyball and Gymnastics Tournament at WVU , Big East Tennis Committee, Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tennis Committee, West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tennis Policies Committee chairperson, West Virginia State High School Tennis Tournament Director and Tennis Rules Committee. She has served on numerous University related committees, such as Office of Social Justice, Council for Womens Concerns, Take Our Daughters/Sons to Work Day, Women of Color Luncheon, and Student Discipline Committee, as well as many WVU School of Physical Education committees. She has provided volunteer support for Extension Services, Girl Scouts, YMCA and Monongalia Riding for the Handicapped Association. Thorn has received numerous awards including Coach of the YearAtlantic Ten Conference, Outstanding Teacher in Physical Education Award, and served as WVU Homecoming Parade Marshal in 1993. The WVU Fall Tennis Tournament was renamedThe Martha Thorn Invitational Tournamentin honor of Thorn. Thorn resides in Morgantown with her husband, Gordon Thorn.
Peggy Bahnsen
P* eggy Bahnsen earned her B.S. degree from the WVU School of Physical Education in recreation in 1966. She received an M.S. degree in psychology counseling at Old Dominion University in 1976. Bahnsen served in the U.S. Army and has received numerous honors and recognition, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal and Outstanding Young Woman in America. She has been interviewed on CNN as one of three people achievingfirsts,such as first woman Regimental Tactical Officer at West Point. Throughout most of Bahnsens Army career she has achieved thefirst,onlyor served as the highest ranking woman on the job or in the organization. Bahnsen returned to WVU in 1995 where she held the position of Professor of Military Science, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army. She was the first woman graduate in the history of WVU to hold this position and was selected for this duty by a Department of the Army Board. Bahnsen served in this capacity until her retirement from WVU . Bahnsen is the co-founder and chair of the Lincoln Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing leadership skills in West Virginia youths. She serves as director of Camp Lincoln, a West Virginia Conservative Youth Leadership Camp. She has been featured as keynote speaker at West Virginia Girls State. Bahnsen also serves on the University of Houston Health Science Centers Advisory Committee for Project Healthy Outlook on Mammography Experience. Bahnsen resides in New Cumberland with her husband, Brigadier General (Retired) John C. (Doc) Bahnsen.
*Jerry West
Jerry West, a native of Chelyan, received his B.S. degree in physical education in 1960. In 1959, as a junior, West led the WVU mens basketball team to the NCAA finals and captured the tournaments Most Outstanding Player award. In a superlative senior season, West was a consensus All-American and led WVU to its third consecutive conference championship. Before entering the NBA , West served as co-captain of the gold medal winning U.S. Olympic basketball team in Rome in 1960 and was a member of the victorious U.S. squad in the 1958 Pan American Games. West was drafted by the Lakers and averaged more than 30 points per game during a four year span and the Lakers rose from third place in the division to first. West is best known as one of the greatest players in NBA historyafter a 14-year career with the Lakers. He was selected to the All-NBA first team 10 times and the All-Defensive first team four times. He was selected to play in the All-Star Game for 13 consecutive seasons. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. West next achieved the head coaching position with the Lakers. He became general manager of the Lakers in 1982 and was named the NBA Executive of the Year for 1995. After a brief retirement, West took his talents to the Memphis Grizzlies as President of Basketball Operations in 2002. He received an honorary doctorate from WVU during May 2006 Commencement, and on Nov. 26, 2005, his number 44 became the first basketball number to be retired by the University. West and his wife, Karen, reside in Memphis, Tenn.
For more details on the event, call Joanne Pollitt, 304-293-3295, ext. 5257.