In the spring of 2025, the Bill Carr Museum and Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame will officially open, honoring the greatest athletes in Jefferson County beginning with Pine Bluff greats like Monte Coleman, Rickey Henderson, Torii Hunter, Don Hutson, Willie Roaf, and Basil Shabazz.
Image Credit: www.facebook.com; www.pbcommercial.com (Left to right: Jeff Gross and Ricky Williams)
Jeff Gross, chairman of the committee for the Bill Carr Museum & Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame, and Ricky Williams, director of the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Main Library, have led the endeavor to transform the Bill Carr Room in the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Main Library to the Bill Carr Museum and Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame (JCSHOF).
Presently, the room is named after Bill Carr, a Pine Bluff Olympian who won two gold medals in track and field in the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. When asked about the JCSHOF, Williams stated "The legacy of Bill Carr and his greatness will be remembered even more now by recognizing the outstanding athletes in Jefferson County for the past 100 years. The Selection Committee is made of sports writers and historians, with nearly 200 combined years of experience, and possess knowledge that dates back more than six decades. They have been working for over a year on this project, and I feel we have a first-year class that could match any in the country."
The committee also includes Jim Harris, former sports editor at The Pine Bluff Commercial and presently managing editor for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; I.C. Murrell, former sports editor at The Commercial and presently its senior reporter; and Carl Whimper, former sports information director at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and presently career coach in the Watson Chapel School District.
At a press conference at the Main Library on Wednesday, December 11, Gross and Williams joined Mayor Shirley Washington and the other committee members to introduce the first six selections for the new Hall of Fame. These six initial inductees to the Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame include former NFL player and UAPB head coach Monte Coleman, NFL Hall of Fame members Don Hutson and Willie Roaf, former Major League Baseball greats Torii Hunter and Rickey Henderson, and Pine Bluff legend Basil Shabazz. These Pine Bluff sports greats will formally be inducted on April 26, 2025, at the Pine Bluff Country Club. The accomplishments and life stories of these inductees and many more can be found in previous blog articles. For more exciting news about all the future athletes/inductees check out our weekly blogs.
According to Gross, “He and his committee agree that they are the six best to ever come out of Pine Bluff.” In January 2025, 12 additional Jefferson County legends will be announced. In February, the rest of the initial Hall of Fame class will also be announced.
According to Gross, "The Hall of Fame Class will consist of athletes who have played in the MLB, NBA, NFL, and many other sports. Our most emphasis is on their success after high school. We will honor over 100 athletes, coaches, and teams in the inaugural class. There have been so many great athletes (dating back to the 1920s)."
To be eligible, candidates have to have been born in Jefferson County, spent their early childhood in Jefferson County, graduated from high school, or lived more than half a life in the county. Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame candidates must also be in good standing with the law and be at least 25 unless they die before the age of 25. The Museum will also expand to honor the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff's greatest athletes, the greatest sports moments in Pine Bluff history, and lifetime achievement awards in future exhibits.
Sources:
www.deltaplexnews.com - Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame to be hosted inside Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Library
Written by: Ninfa O. Barnard