Perry Wallace and Watson Brown Inducted Into Tennessee Hall of Fame 11/25/02

Vanderbilt's Perry Wallace, who broke the color barrier in the Southeastern Conference in 1966, and Watson Brown, who both played for and coached the Commodores, were among 10 members of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2003 that was announced Monday.

The Class of 2003 has 10 inductees in all, with Summitt the lone female. Her credentials include six national championships, and she's still going strong in Knoxville. The Lady Vols entered play yesterday as the No. 2 team in the country, but lost to No. 1 Duke 76-55.

The class also includes several other coaches, a skeet shooter, a steeplechase rider and an SEC pioneer.

''It's truly a banner year for our hall of fame,'' said Kyle Rote Jr., president of the Tennessee hall.

The pioneer is Perry Wallace, the first black basketball player in the SEC, in the late 1960s at Vanderbilt. He was elected team captain in 1969-70 and led the Commodores with 17.7 points per game. Previously, he had led Pearl High to a 31-0 mark and the 1966 state championship, the first year the TSSAA basketball tournament was integrated.

Former Vanderbilt quarterback and head football coach Watson Brown is also among the inductees, as is former Aquinas College athletic director and head basketball coach Charlie Anderson.

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame annual awards banquet and induction ceremony is slated for Jan. 24 at the Renaissance Hotel.

The 2003 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame inductees, listed alphabetically:

Charlie Anderson: Athletic director and head basketball coach at Aquinas College from 1981-2001. Led team to 1991 National Junior College Athletic Association championship, the first for a team from Tennessee. Same year was named JUCO National Coach of the Year by Basketball Weekly.

Watson Brown: Cookeville native was a standout quarterback at Vanderbilt from 1969-72. Led Commodores to 14-10 victory over Alabama in 1969. Was later the head coach at Vanderbilt and for the past eight years has been at the helm at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Dale R. Kelley: A veteran of 21 years of basketball officiating. Worked 14 years in the Southeastern, Ohio Valley, Southwest and Metro conferences. Worked nine consecutive NCAA tournaments and three Final Fours. Mayor of Huntingdon, Tenn.

Bob Patterson: Little All-American guard and co-captain of the Memphis State football team in 1954. Was an assistant at Memphis State and Vanderbilt.

Carl Poston: Holds 13 skeet-shooting championship titles. Belongs to three skeet-shooting halls of fame.

Chuck Rohe: Legendary track and field coach at the University of Tennessee from 1963-71, winning 19 consecutive SEC titles in cross country and indoor and outdoor track. Began a 20-year tenure as executive director of the Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) in 1982.

George Sloan (posthumous): World-class steeplechase rider. Won 148 races, more than any amateur in American history.

Pat Summitt: Has won six national titles as coach of the University of Tennessee women's basketball team. Has produced 11 Olympians and 16 All-Americans.

Perry Wallace: Standout basketball player at Pearl High, he led the team to an undefeated state title in the first year the TSSAA tournament was integrated. Received a scholarship to Vanderbilt and was the first black athlete to play basketball in the SEC. Was elected team captain 1969-70 and led the Commodores with a 17.7 points per game scoring average.

Gene Wilfong (posthumous): The first basketball All-American at the University of Memphis, played for the Tigers from 1955-57. Led team to overall mark of 44-13.