(1921 – 1983) A legend of Oregon sports writing, Leo Davis had the talent to be both cruel and kind, long before punditry and hyperbole held center stage in sports journalism. The California native anchored the sports department at the Redmond Spokesman, in Redmond, Oregon, from 1949-1960 before beginning a memorable 23 year run as..Read More
(Born November 22, 1933) Morris “Bucky” Buckwalter went from LaGrande to the top of the pro basketball world through a career as a player, coach and then scout and executive, helping develop the Blazers roster that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and ’92. Buckwalter grew up in LaGrande and played collegiately at the University..Read More
(Born August 9, 1941) Jack Elder is an Olympian with some very big ideas. 1984 was not the first time he asked the questions “what if” or “why not”. But it was when he joined Winter Olympics Oregon (or WOO) with its purpose of bidding to host the Winter Olympic Games. It hasn’t happened yet,..Read More
(Born March 19, 1945) The president of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame has lived his dream of bringing sports and fitness to the community many times over. Chuck Richards was a three-time All-American while at Stadium High School in Tacoma in the early 1960s. Richards won six Washington state championships in freestyle, butterfly and..Read More
The face of St. Mary’s Academy athletics from her playing days to her current job as athletic director, Anna Maria Lopez (b. Feb 19, 1960) is as distinguished as a role model as she was a competitor. Between 1974 and 1978, Lopez was the dominant female prep athlete in the state, some might say dominant..Read More
Candi Murray (b. Jan 2, 1951) is recognized as the mother of Oregon bike racing, heading up one of the most successful independent racing associations in the country, the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA). For over 20 years, she has provided the organization with business leadership, helping it achieve one of the highest membership levels..Read More
Born in Hillsboro, Oregon on April 30, 1952, Tinker Hatfield attended Central Linn High School where he earned distinction as an accomplished basketball player, an All-American Track & Field star in hurdles and vaulting. He was an All State running back and Sunkist All American (Top 100). In 1970, Tinker was named State of Oregon’s..Read More
The Club brought the national spotlight to Portland with the most successful amateur boxing program in the country. The club had nine National Amateur Athletic Union Champion boxers. In 1961, Knott Street won the U.S. Team Boxing Championship. Two Knott Street boxers participated in the 1964 U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials and three participated in the..Read More
(born Feb. 24, 1938) Phil Knight graduated from the University of Oregon with a personal best in the mile run of 4 minutes 10 seconds. While studying for his eventual MBA from Stanford University, Knight wrote a marketing paper on the potential of manufacturing athletic shoes in Asia. While visiting Japan, he discovered Onitsuka Tiger,..Read More
(Oct. 5, 1907 – Jun. 27, 2000) Dorothea Lensch was named Portland Parks and Recreation’s first Director of Recreation in 1937. She envisioned recreation programs that would change the lives of children by exposing them to the possibilities provided through the arts, sports and other recreational activities. She designed a Recreation Division that developed a..Read More