Hall of Fame

Owensboro, Daviess County, and the surrounding region are home to an impressive array of well-known celebrities from motorsports, movies, television, sports, music, and government. Visitors can stroll through the Hall of Fame, located in the Convention & Visitors Bureau, and pick up much more information about the history and attractions of the area.

 

MOTORSPORTS

David Green ** B.1958 ** Owensboro, KY

David made is Busch Series debut in 1989 at Hickory Motor Speedway. Green won the 1994 NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division title. In sixteen starts in 1998, Green qualified in the Top 10 four times and finished in the Top 20 five times.

 

Jeff Green ** B.1962 ** Owensboro, KY

The youngest of the Green brothers got his big break in 1990 after winning the Nashville Speedway USA championship. He went on to compete in the Busch Series and the Cup Series. In 2000, Jeff was awarded the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division title. He finished second in points in the Busch Series in both 1999 and 2001.

 

Mark Green ** B.1959 ** Owensboro, KY

Mark launched his driving career in 1973 at the age of thirteen. He won six consecutive championships racing go-karts in the Southern Indiana Racing Association. In 1999, he finished second in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Division point standings. From 1999 to 2001, Green dominated the Busch Series with seventy-two Top 10's, fifty-six Top 5's, fourteen poles and thirteen wins.

 

Nicky "Kentucky Kid" Hayden ** B.1981 ** Owensboro, KY

Nicky, known to the racing world as "The Kentucky Kid", is a professional motorcycle racer and the 2006 MotoGP World Champion. Nicky got his start in dirt track racing at the age of six. He won his first Grand National Championship, two Rookie of the Year honors and was declared AMA's Athlete of the Year in 1999.

 

Jeremy Mayfield ** B.1969 ** Owensboro, KY

Mayfield had an ambition to become a race car driver since his father took him to his first races at Kentucky Motor Speedway. In 1987 he was named Kentucky Motor Speedway Rookie of the Year. In 1993 he joined the Winston Cup circuit and was named the Auto Racing Club of America Rookie of the Year. Mayfield won NASCAR's Pocono 500 in 1998 and in 2005 he won the GFS Marketplace 400. He is currently driving for Haas CNC Racing.

 

James "Jim" Ware McCormick ** 1934-1995 ** Owensboro, KY

Jim McCormick gained fame as the driver of "Miss Madison", which he piloted to victory in 1971, winning both the Gold Cup race in Madison, IN, and the Atomic Cup at Tri-Cities, WA. Between the years 1966 and 1977, he participated in a total of seventy Unlimited races. He retired from racing in 1975. The movie Madison was filmed in 1999 portraying McCormick's life and his victory in the 1971 Gold Cup.

 

William "Bill" L. Sterett, Sr. ** 1924-1992 ** Owensboro, KY

Sterett, a three-time Unlimited hydroplane champion, gained fame as pilot of the Miss Chrysler, winning the World Championship Unlimited race in Detroit in 1967. He piloted the Miss Budweiser to victories in the Arizona Governor's Cup in 1968 and won the Dixie Cup, Kentucky governor's Cup, the Seafair Trophy, and the National High-Points Championship in 1969. He continued to be active in boating after his retirement in 1972.

Darrell Waltrip ** B.1947 ** Owensboro, KY

A 1965 graduate of Daviess County High School, Waltrip started his driving career racing go-karts at age 12. He entered his first stock car race just four years later. In 1974, he decided to become a full time NASCAR Winston Cup competitor. Waltrip is a three-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion and a three-time winner of the American Driver of the Year award. He is the only five-time winner of the Coca-Cola 500 and was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. He is in both the2003 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and the 2005 International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

 

Michael Waltrip ** B.1963 ** Owensboro, KY

Younger brother of Darrell, Michael began his stock car career in 1981 when he won the Mini-Modified Division Track Championship at Kentucky Motor Speedway. Michael won the Daytona 500 in 2001 and 2003 and has seven NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division victories. He currently competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series.

 

ATHLETES

Mack Pendleton Allison ** 1887-1964 ** Owensboro, KY

Allison began his baseball career pitching for local teams in Owensboro. He pitched for the Browns between 1911 and 1913 for a total of 45 games. He was the first Owensboro player to make it to the big leagues.

 

Christopher "Chris" Duke Brown ** B.1962 ** Owensboro, KY

Brown is a graduate of Owensboro Catholic High School and Notre Dame University. He was drafted in 1984 in the 6th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played defensive back for two seasons and was also a member of the kickoff return team.

 

Vincent "Vince" Lamont Buck ** B.1968 ** Owensboro, KY

A graduate of Owensboro High School and Central State in Ohio, Buck starred in the 1990 East-West Hula Bowl as a kick-return specialist and defensive back. He played for the Saints for six years, from 1990-1995.

 

Raymond "Ray" Johnson Chapman ** 1891-1920 ** Ohio County, KY

Ray Chapman is remembered best for being the only major leaguer ever killed by a pitched ball. The "beanball" happened during Chapman's career as a shortstop with the Cleveland Indians in a game with the New York Yankees.

 

Rex Everett Chapman ** B.1967 ** Owensboro, KY

Chapman starred for the Apollo High School basketball team and for the University of Kentucky Wildcats. He was the first player selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1988 NBA draft. During his outstanding NBA career-particularly with the Phoenix Suns-he became known for his dramatic and unorthodox shooting . In the 2004-2005 NBA playoffs, Chapman was a color commentator on TNT, and in 2006 he became the vice president of player personnel with the Denver Nuggets.

 

Wayne G. Chapman ** B.1945 ** Daviess County, KY

Wayne, father of Rex Chapman, was a basketball star in his own right. Chapman played for the Kentucky Colonels, the Denver Rockets and Indiana Pacers in the American Basketball Association for 206 games. Chapman guided his teams to two NCAA championships, in 1987 and 1990, and was named National Division II College Coach of the Year as head coach of the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers.

 

Clifford "Cliff" Oldham Hagan

Two-time All American, Cliff Hagan starred for the 1949 Owensboro High School state championship team and was a freshman member of the 1951 University of Kentucky national championship team. He was a member of the NBA All-Star team four times and the ABA All-Star Team once. He is a former athletics director at the University of Kentucky. The Cliff Hagan Boys and Girls Club in Owensboro and the Cliff Hagan Baseball Stadium at the University of Kentucky are named in his honor.

 

Kenneth "Kenny" Lee Higgs, Jr. ** B1955 ** Owensboro, KY

After graduating from Owensboro High School in 1973, where he held the title of the all-time leading scorer, Higgs hitched his basketball star to Louisiana State University. He played with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Denver Nuggets, where he ended his career in 1982.

 

Mark Deyon Higgs ** B. 1966 ** Chicago, IL

Football star Mark Higgs played for Owensboro High School and the University of Kentucky. He was drafted in 1988 by the Dallas Cowboys, played for Philadelphia in 1989, and was traded to Miami in 1990. In ninety NFL games, he rushed for nearly 2,959 yards and scored fourteen touchdowns. Higgs retired in 1995.

 

Patrick Johnson ** B.1958 ** Owensboro, KY

A graduate of Daviess County High School, Johnson realized his lifelong dream when he became a professional jockey in 1980. In 1988 Johnson won the Gardenia Stakes aboard the filly Meter Maid. In 1996, aboard Blow Out, he finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby. Johnson still gallops horses at Churchill Downs.

 

Willie Lee "W.L." Johnson ** B.1920 ** Philpot, KY

Willie Lee Johnson, a Daviess County native, began riding in 1936. He won his first race in 1937 at Dade Park, now named Ellis Park. He won the Governors Handicap in 1937 and 1937. He is the only jockey to have ridden 68 winners in 26 days. His career spanned twenty-two years, with time off for military service in World War II. Johnson rode Kender in the 1946 Kentucky Derby and Fighting Back in the 1951 Derby.

 

John "Jughandle" Dewey Morrison ** 1895-1966 ** Pellville, KY

Morrison's pitching career began in 1916 with the Owensboro Grays. In his first major league start with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1920, he shut out Cincinnati 4-0. He won seventeen games and saved seventeen others during the Pirates 1925 World Series championship season. His nickname came from his sweeping curve ball which made an arc like a jug handle.

 

Eugene Oberst ** 1901-1991 ** Owensboro, KY

A 1919 graduate of Owensboro High School, Oberst went on to become a football star at Notre Dame where he played with the Four Horsemen under Coach Knute Rockne. In the 1924 Paris Olympic Games he represented USA in the javelin, where he won a Bronze medal. The film Chariots of Fire is based on those Olympic games.

 

Robert "Bobby" Byron Rascoe ** B.1940 ** Trigg County, KY

Rascoe played basketball for Daviess County High School and Western Kentucky University. From 1963 to 1955 he played for the Philips '66 Oilers, visiting thirty-five foreign countries. He also played for the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association, named Best Defensive Player in three consecutive seasons. He is a member of the Western Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

Spend A Buck ** 1982-2002 ** Daviess County, KY

Foaled in Daviess County, Kentucky, Spend A Buck won the 1985 Kentucky Derby - a race in which he led wire-to-wire. With Angel Cordero up, he set a first three-quarter mile Derby record and was named the 1985 Eclipse Horse of the Year. In his lifetime, Spend A Buck sired twenty-seven stakes winners with earnings over $16 million.

 

John "Hump" Porter Tanner ** 1897-? ** Owensboro, KY

Born in Owensboro, John "Hump" Tanner played football for Owensboro High School. He was a member of the Centre College Praying Colonels, the historic team that defeated Harvard College in 1921. Tanner went on to play for several years with Toledo and Cleveland in the National Professional Football League and was a teammate and close friend of Jim Thorpe.

 

Larry Vanover ** B.1955 ** Owensboro, KY

Larry is a member of baseball's unsung, but essential, umpiring crew. He played baseball at Daviess County High School and the University of Kentucky and began amateur umpiring at games in Daviess County. He entered the minor leagues as an umpire in 1981 and officiated his first big league game ten years later. He has been a National League umpire since he was hired full time in March 1993.

 

Nick Varner ** B.1948 ** Owensboro, KY

An eight-time world billiard champion and a five-time Player of the Year, Varner is the only player to win championships in five different billiards games. He was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1992 and is considered the best 9-Ball and best all-around player. Varner has won more than eight professional titles. He began making his own cues in 1999 and currently owns and operates Nick Varner Cues & Cases.

 

Robert "Bobby" Hayes Veach ** 1888-1945 ** Island, KY

Bobby Veach boasted a lifetime batting average of .310 for his fourteen-year career in the Major Leagues between 1912 and 1925. He played for Boston, New York, Detroit and Washington. He led the American League twice in doubles, once in triples and hits and three times in runs batted in. After his retirement he worked for the Detroit Tigers organization.

 

David Roger Watkins ** B.1944 ** Owensboro, KY

Watkins was both a baseball and football star for Owensboro High School. After a standout American Legion baseball career with Owensboro's Velvet Bombers, he signed with the Detroit Tigers and later played for the Philadelphia Phillies. Watkins received his M.D. in 1976 and became the medical director of the Frazier Rehabilitation Center at the University of Louisville.

 

Robert "Bobby" E. Watson ** B.1930 ** Owensboro, KY

A 1948 graduate of Owensboro High School, Watson was renowned as a basketball player for his deadly two-hand set shot, and went on to help the University of Kentucky Wildcats to their third national title in 1951. He played for the Minneapolis (now Los Angeles) Lakers in 1954. As head coach of Owensboro High School's basketball team, he won two state championships in 1972 and 1980.

 

Brad Wilkerson ** B.1977 ** Owensboro, KY

A graduate of Apollo High School, where he earned both All-State Soccer and All-State Baseball honors, Brad was named Kentucky's Mr. Baseball in 1994. He was a three-time All American Baseball Player at the University of Florida. Brad won a Gold Medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics as a member of the USA baseball team. He was named Expos Player of the Year in 2004 after being drafted by the Montreal Expos. He has played for the Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners, and currently plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.

 

Robert Kenneth "Ken" Willis ** B.1966 ** Owensboro, KY

A graduate of Owensboro High School, Willis was a place kicker for the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants. At the University of Kentucky, he made All-SEC Academic Tam from 1987-1989. He holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mathematics Education from the University of Kentucky.

 

ENTERTAINERS

Jody Berry ** 1937-2005 ** Owensboro, KY

Berry was best known as a nightclub singer and "entertainer of the stars". He was born and raised in Owensboro and graduated from Owensboro Catholic High School. He performed across the country and was a favorite entertainer at private Hollywood parties. After retiring, he devoted his time to non-profit causes and was awarded the 1997 Friar of the Year Award for his generosity and charitable fundraising endeavors.

 

Johnny Depp ** B.1963 ** Owensboro, KY

The Owensboro-born popular movie star is an award-winning actor, best known for his frequent portrayals of offbeat and eccentric characters. Some of his memorable performances include Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland, and the wildly popular Pirates of the Caribbean movies. His latest film, Sweeney Todd, won him a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.

 

The Everly Brothers ** B.1937 (Don) B.1939 (Phil) ** Muhlenburg Co., KY

Born in Brownie, KY, with gospel and country roots, the brothers achieved fame with such popular hits at "Bye Bye Love", "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have To Do Is Dream", and "Bird Dog". They appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Perry Como shows and toured world-wide.

 

Tom Ewell ** 1909-1994 ** Owensboro, KY

A Broadway, film, and television actor, Ewell was a charter member of the Owensboro High School's Rose curtain Players in 1923. He made his Broadway debut in 1934 and his film debut in 1940. He won a Tony Award for his role in The Seven Year Itch and won a Golden Globe for his role in the film version with co-star Marilyn Monroe. He also won an Emmy award for his role in the television series "Baretta".

 

William Christopher 'W.C.' Handy ** 1873-1958 ** Florence, AL

Known as "The Father of Blues", Handy was born in Alabama and married Elizabeth Price of Henderson, KY, where he lived for ten years. In addition to composing, he published several books on the blues. The city of Henderson honors him at the annual W.C. Handy Blues & Bar-B-Q Festival every June.

 

Florence Henderson ** B.1934 ** Owensboro, KY

A graduate of Owensboro's St. Frances Academy, Henderson is best known for her role as Carol Brady in "The Brady Bunch". She was the first woman to guest host "The Tonight Show". She also had a successful career on Broadway starring in such musicals as Oklahoma, The King and I, and Fanny. She returned to Owensboro in 1992 to host the gala opening ceremonies of the RiverPark Center.

 

Louis Marshall 'Grandpa' Jones ** 1913-1998 ** Niagra, KY

Grandpa Jones was possibly best known for his appearances on the television program, "Hee Haw". Jones was a talented musician and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1978. He was also a regular at the Grand Ole Opry.

 

William 'Bill' Smith Monroe ** 1911-1996 ** Rosine, KY

"The Father of Bluegrass Music", Bill Monroe is one of the only people to have bestowed upon America an entire musical genre. His "Blue Moon of Kentucky" became an official state song. Monroe became an International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 1991, and is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

 

Warren Oates ** 1924-1982 ** Muhlenburg Co., KY

Oates' family moved to Louisville when he was thirteen, where he began his acting career after two years in the Marine Corps. In 1955, he traveled to Hollywood and began a successful career in television and movies, including The Wild Bunch and Dillinger.

 

Hal Riddle ** B.1918 ** Calhoun, KY

Riddle was one of Hollywood's character actors, appearing in more than two dozen movies and 400 televisions shows during his career. In 1988 he was elected to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

 

Christine Johnson Smith ** B.1911 ** Hopkinsville, KY

A Broadway star with a magnificent voice, Smith was the original Nettie Fowler in the Rodgers Hammerstein classic, Carousel, for which she was nominated for the Tony for Best Supporting Actress. "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" were written by Richard Rodgers specifically for her. After her successful careers on Broadway and with the Metropolitan Opera, she returned to Owensboro to marry Dr. Roberts W. Smith, where she taught vocal lessons. One of her students was Florence Henderson.

 

GOVERNMENT

Wendell H. Ford ** B.1924 ** Owensboro, KY

Kentucky's best-known contemporary statesman graduated from Daviess County High School. Ford has been a State Senator, Lieutenant Governor and the State's 49th Governor. He served 24 years in the United State Senate, serving as both the Democratic Senate Majority and Minority Whips. Ford founded the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center located in the Owensboro Museum of Science and History.

 

LITERARY ARTS

Terry Bisson ** B.1942 ** Owensboro, KY

Bisson attended Owensboro High School and is the author of six novels, including Pirates of the Universe, a New York Time Notable Book of 1996. He has received the Nebula, Asimov's, and Locus readers' awards. His most recent novel, Dear Abbey, was nominated for the 2006 British Science Fiction Association award.

 

Stephen F. Cohen ** B.1938 ** Owensboro, KY

Cohen attended elementary and high school in Owensboro. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Politics and Russian Studies from Columbia University. Cohen is author of many books and articles, a television news commentator, and CBS News' consultant on Russia. Cohen has been a member of New York University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences where he teaches "Russia Since 1917".

 

VISUAL ARTS

"The Kentuckian" ** 1954 ** Owensboro, KY

The Owensboro area and many of its citizens were featured in the Hollywood epic, The Kentuckian, starring Burt Lancaster. Scenes were filmed on the Ohio River and the Owensboro Sportscenter. The Kentucky premiere was held at the Malco Theatre, now Goldie's Opryhouse, on August 5, 1955.

 

Moneta J. Sleet, Jr. ** 1926-1996 ** Owensboro, KY

Moneta Sleet, Jr. was a graduate of Owensboro's Western High School, Kentucky State University, and held a Master's degree in journalism from New York State University. In 1969, Sleet became the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism - Feature Photography for a photograph in which he captured the anguish of Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and their daughter at the civil rights leader's funeral. He also won an award from the Overseas Press Club for a photo of Ghana's President Kwame Nkrumah, taken at the moment of Ghana's independence.