Dale Alexander

Inducted October 19, 2007  

Grady Adkisson joined the GHS staff in 1928 as a history teacher and football coach.  He laid the groundwork for success in GHS athletics by being hired as the first true football coach.  As coach through the 1933 season, he turned the football program from a constant loser to a 3-3 season in ’31; 5-2 in ’32 and 4-3 in ’33.  Grady also was the boys’ and girls’ basketball coach from the ‘29-’30 school year through the ’33-’34 school year.  Grady moved into administration and turned the coaching duties over to Buddy Hackman beginning with the 1934-’35 school year.  In the fall of ’36, junior high was opened as another Greeneville City School and Grady Atkinson was the first principle.  He formed and coached the first junior high football team that fall.   Following a successful career with the Greeneville school system, Grady moved to the University of Tennessee as Dean of Men where he continued to help GHS students. 

Inducted October 19, 2007 

Jim Calkin moved to Greeneville in the summer of 1947 because his dad had become manager of a manufacturing company.  Since Jim was an Illinois All-State player his sophomore year, he became the catalyst that helped bring boys’ basketball (dropped in 1939) back to the scene as an inter-scholastic sport at Greeneville High School.  Jim was an outstanding center on the basketball team and a pitcher on the baseball team, lettering in both sports for two years.  

Utilizing his experience and talent, the GHS baseball team was also re-established (having only been active for the ’39 and’40 seasons).  He carried those two sports for GHS until his graduation in 1949.  Jim turned down a professional baseball contract from Dale Alexander and entered Tusculum College to continue his basketball career.  The Korean War caused his entry into the Air Force.  Following the war and after finishing his college education, Jim entered the business world where he established himself in the insurance business.  All this led him to be the General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks.  Because of Jim’s success as general manager, the Hawks played the first two years in the Georgia Tech gymnasium until the Omni, where they presently play, was finished.  Jim later moved to Maryville Tennessee where he was again associated with GHS as a contributor to GHS athletics, especially in building the baseball batting cage.  Jim died in 2005. 

April 10. 2005

MARYVILLE - James A. "Big Jim" Calkin, Sr., of Maryville, died early Sunday morning.

Born in southern Illinois in 1931, he graduated from Greeneville High School in 1949, where he was a stand-out player in both baseball and basketball.

This same time included playing for Newport in the Appalachian League, where he was offered professional baseball contracts with the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants.

After two years at Tusculum College, he joined the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and served honorably as a staff sergeant for four years.

Upon returning, he graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Business Administration. His family notes, Subsequently, Jim became successfully involved in executive management in the insurance industry in Knoxville and Atlanta, Ga.

In 1969, he became president of the NBA Atlanta Hawks and was best known for producing play-off contenders and signing Pete Maravich to his first pro contract.

When Jim returned to East Tennessee in 1977, he formed Jim Calkin and Associates Insurance Agency, and served his clients well. Jim's commitment to the community included bringing 'Christy, the Musical' to East Tennessee.

Over the years, Jim also coached many championship youth baseball teams in Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Maryville.

A devout Christian and devoted husband and father, he will be sorely missed by family and friends. Survivors include his wife: Elizabeth Inez Calkin; three sons and daughters-in-law: James A. Calkin Jr. and his wife, Elizabeth Calkin, of Maryville, Mark and Jean Calkin of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Peter and Crystal Calkin of Maryville; a daughter and son-in-law: Robyn and Anthony Mastandrea of Buford, Ga.; his grandchildren: Kathy McKeehan, Kristin Coleman, and Derrick Calkin, all of Maryville, Sydney Calkin and Ben Calkin, all of Cincinnati, Rachel Dickens, Kelly Dickens, Matthew Mastandrea, and Gabrielle Mastandrea, all of Buford; three great-grandchildren: Meghan McKeehan, Ava McKeehan, and Lydia McKeehan, all of Maryville; three brothers and sisters-in-law: Jack and Vera Calkin of Ballwin, Mo., William and Elizabeth Calkin of Nashville, and Martin and Sarah Calkin of Greeneville; a sister and brother-in-law: Virginia and H. Freeman Davis of Aztec, N.M.; several nieces, nephews, and other special relatives.

He was a son of the late William Lee and Claudine Calkin and was preceded in death by a brother, Bert Calkin.

A memorial service will be held at 7 o'clock Wednesday evening at First United Methodist Church in Maryville. The Rev. Larry Carroll and the Rev. Brenda Carroll will officiate. Memorial contributions may be made to First UM Church Organ Fund, 804 Montvale Station Road, Maryville, TN 37803 or Eagle Club Athletic Endowment Scholarship Fund for James A. Calkin Sr., Carson-Newman College, Box 72009, Jefferson City, TN 37760. Smith Mortuary in Maryville is in charge of arrangements.

Inducted October 19, 2007 

Ty Disney coached both of the undefeated teams in GHS history.  Following a very successful playing career at the University of Tennessee as a tailback, Ty accepted his first coaching job at Benham County High School in Middlesboro Kentucky in the fall of ’33.  For the next two years he had a successful career at Benham County High with Leonard Coffman as one of his players.  Coach Disney was persuaded to come to Greeneville by Dr. C. B. Laughlin, the chairman of the City Board of Education, and brought Leonard Coffman with him.

The Septermber, 1935, edition of the The Tennessee Alumnus (page 5) says that DIsney, former UT backfield star, was elected to succeed Buddy Hackman, who had been named the backfield coach at Roanoke College and would begin there in the fall.

Coach Disney started a winning tradition in GHS football, by selecting the 11 best defensive players to start on both the offensive and defensive sides. His next concern was selecting the best punter on the squad, and followed that with choosing the best fullback and tailback.  Disney’s coaching strategy was followed by all the GHS football coaches through the end of the ‘59 season.  Coach Disney’s ’35 football team was 9-1, the only loss being 7-6 to Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett.   The ’36 football team had a record of 9-2.  

The girls’ basketball team under Coach Disney’s direction was undefeated in 1936-37.  Boys’ basketball did not fair as well, because players were declared ineligible mid-season causing games to be forfeited.  Following the ’36-37 school year, Coach Disney joined Dr. Laughlin at the hospital as a physical therapist and Laird Holt became the coach for the next 3 years.  Disney also coached the Tusculum Pioneers during the 1937 season, but went 0-5-3.

Coach Disney returned as Coach in 1940, and his 1942 football team was undefeated.  Because the GHS gym had been condemned in 1939, football was the only inter-scholastic sport at GHS from 1939 until the 1947-48 school year.  Disney continued as coach of the football team until he retired after the 1954 season.  Coach Coffman replaced him as head football coach in 1955, and because Coffman needed someone to help him, Coach Disney returned as his assistant in 1957. 

From RollTide.com

Oct. 23, 2009

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - It's hard to imagine a football season without an Alabama-Tennessee game.

But for a dozen years, from 1915-27, the Crimson Tide and Volunteers did not meet on the gridiron, a streak that ended when Tennessee head coach General Robert Neyland saw the need for Alabama to be on the UT schedule each fall if the Vols were to play a role in the national scene of college football.

So, the two teams renewed their rivalry in 1928. Tennessee won the first two games of the renewal, beating Alabama 15-13 in the final game at Denny Field in 1928 and 6-0 in Knoxville in 1929.  In 1930, Neyland's Volunteers rode into Tuscaloosa with 33-game unbeaten streak and back-to-back wins over the Crimson Tide.

Alabama head coach Wallace Wade had submitted his resignation as the Crimson Tide's head coach on April 30, 1930.  It was accepted contingent on him leading the Crimson Tide through one more year.

By the time the Tennessee game arrived, Alabama was unbeaten and untied and its fans had regained their spirit after the Crimson Tide opened the season with wins over Howard, Mississippi and Sewanee, outscoring the trio by a combined 132-0. 

With every ticket sold, 8,000 temporary seats were constructed so 20,000 fans could pack themselves into Denny Stadium.

The Volunteers proved to be no match for the rejuvenated Crimson Tide, falling 18-6 on Nov. 18, 1930 in one of the most significant wins in Tide football lore.

After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took over at its own 19-yard line and scored in 11 plays, using a mixture of line plunges and end runs.  Johnny Cain covered the last 14-yard with a run around right end to give the Tide a 6-0 lead.

Later, it was Alabama's ball on the Tennessee 40-yard line. John Henry Suther picked up nine yards on first down and then scampered around left end for a 31-yard touchdown to put the Tide up 12-0.

Tennessee came back behind the play of quarterback Bobby Dodd.  Dodd zipped a 34-yard pass to Virgil Rayburn putting the ball at the UA 45-yard line.  He completed an 8-yard pass to Theodore Disney.

On second down, Dodd ran down the right side of the field and the ball was snapped to Buddy Hackman, who threw a long one to Dodd, who cut back and had gotten behind Alabama's safety man.  The ball bounced off Dodd's chest and fell incomplete.

The Crimson Tide, aided by a 46-yard run from Suther, moved from its own 20 to the Tennessee 20 as the first half ended.

Alabama capitalized on a turnover to score its next touchdown. Joe Sharp recovered a fumbled punt at the UT 12-yard line, setting up the Tide in excellent field position.  It took six line plunges to make the distance with J.R. Campbell scoring from the 1-yard line to give the Tide an 18-0 lead.

Tennessee's only touchdown came on Hackman's 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.  The Tide defense was brilliant throughout the game and the line play was solid.  The game ended with Alabama in possession of the ball at the Tennessee 8-yard line.

The following week, Alabama posted a 12-7 win over Vanderbilt and the 13 points scored by Tennessee and Vanderbilt were the only points allowed by the Crimson Tide defense in 1930. After the Vanderbilt game, Alabama pitched five more shutouts against Kentucky, Florida, LSU and Georgia and closed the year with a 24-0 win over Washington State in the Jan. 1, 1931 Rose Bowl to capture its third national title in six years.

Inducted October 19, 2007 

James King, the starting tailback on the 1942 undefeated football team, carried most of the offensive load for the Greene Devils all year.  In the game that placed GHS in the state championship limelight, against Knox Young a top ten team, Bad-eye King scored one of two Greene Devil touchdowns. 

The 1942 Greene Devils, following the opening victory over Erwin, were ranked 8th in the Litkenhous ratings.  This system, at that time, determined who received the Banner-Litkenhous trophy which was presented annually to the team declared state champion by this rating system.  After the victory over Knox Young, this 1942 team was ranked at its highest, 6th in the state, and Knox Young was ranked 9th.  “Bad-eye” entered into the military shortly after the football season was over.  Bio information is not available for him after the war.  

Inducted October 19, 2007 

Agnes McAmis, captain and center of the 1936-37 undefeated girls basketball team, was listed in the newspaper articles and yearbooks as the person who was always there to hold the team together.   After graduating in ’38 and receiving her degree from Tusculum College, she entered the military and made it a career, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel.  She returned to Greeneville after her military career ended, and continued to be very active in sports, giving of her time to both GHS and Tusculum College.  An accomplished golfer, she supported the GHS golf teams financially, and upon her death left an established trust at Tusculum College to be used for golf scholarships.was the wingback and punter on the ’42 undefeated team. 

Inducted October 19, 2007 

Copper Pierce was a three year letterman in football, playing tailback and linebacker, with a team record during those three years of 17-4-1.  He was also a one year letterman in basketball as a guard, and in baseball as an outfielder.   After an outstanding career as an athlete at GHS, he moved on to walk-onat the University of Tennessee where he sustained a shoulder injury in the pre-season of his freshman year.  Copper returned to Greeneville where he attended Tusculum College and played football as linebacker and fullback under Marion Edens, and received his degree in engineering.   Copper continued to live in Greeneville supporting GHS athletics and Tusculum College until his retirement as a field engineer with the State of Tennessee. 

March 29, 2001

Jack Douglas "Copper" Pierce, of Crestwood Drive, a former three-term Greeneville alderman and a very widely known local citizen, died Thursday night. 

After a lengthy battle with cancer, Mr. Pierce, 73, died peacefully at his home surrounded by his wife, Mary Jo Blankenship Willams Pierce, and numerous other family members.

A native of Greeneville, he was a son of the late Elbert Douglas (E.D.) and Pearl Pierce, was reared in this community and spent most of his life here.

Mr. Pierce served three consecutive terms as a Greeneville alderman in the 1960s, including service under two mayors: the late James N. Hardin and the late Earl H. Smith. He served as vice-mayor under Mayor Hardin.

During Mr. Pierce's period of service on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Greeneville Town Hall was built, as well as two Greeneville schools.

He was involved as an alderman in the first discussions of establishing a city manager form of government, and worked in the first phases of securing accreditation for the Greeneville School System by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

During his tenure on the city board, Mr. Pierce served as chairman of the Greeneville Light and Power System Board of Directors, as commissioner of the Police Department, and commissioner of the Fire Department. He was also a member of the Greeneville Civil Service Board and the Greeneville Regional Planning Commission.

Mr. Pierce was a member of a large and close multi-generational family and carried many family-related childhood experiences throughout his life.  As a child, for instance, he spent numerous summers with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Fann, in Johnson City, where he "helped" his grandfather in his woodworking shop.  He continued to be close to other family members, including those of various generations, nephews and nieces as well as his immediate family.

Mr. Pierce's father was associated with Standard Oil for many years, and the Pierce Service Station on Tusculum Boulevard was widely known.

Jack Pierce attended school in both Johnson City and Greeneville. Here, he attended what was then Roby Elementary School and later Greeneville High School, where he excelled at sports, especially football. 

As a senior and the GHS captain, he participated in the first football game played at Greeneville's Burley Stadium: a 32-2 upset victory against Oak Ridge High School at a time when the Oak Ridge team was rated second in its division in the state.  He was a first-team varsity player for four years and played every minute of every game, on both offense and defense.

At 18, he tried repeatedly to join the armed forces but was consistently turned down because of an injured shoulder. He later joined the National Guard.

In 1946, he and fellow Greenevillian Joe Alex Tilson were chosen by the Red Cross to join some 250 other young people from a four-state area to attend two weeks of training at Montgomery Bell State Park near Nashville, to become water safety instructors.

The two became the first water safety instructors in Greeneville. Mr. Pierce served as a lifeguard at what was then Forest Park Pool, a public swimming pool, and taught swimming and water safety.

He was awarded a full football scholarship at the University of Tennessee, where it was anticipated he would play running back: a long-time dream.

After he suffered a shoulder separation in spring practice at UT, however, his scholarship was withdrawn, and he left the university.

In baseball, he played three positions at various times and lettered for three years, while piling up a .306 batting average.

Returning to Greeneville determined to go to college, he won a partial tennis scholarship to Tusculum College and completed his college education there. 

He had married Betty Wilber Pierce, and the family, including daughter Janet, lived in a small home provided on the campus. Later a second daughter, Connie, was born.  After graduation from Tusculum, Mr. Pierce taught at Doak High School, then took a job with Hamlin-Allman State Corporation and went into structural steel estimating, a career he continued for 20-25 years.

He married Mary Jo Blankenship Williams Pierce in 1973.  Shortly after that he and a partner opened a business, Triple A Industrial Builders. 

During the time that he was president of this corporation, he made an unsuccessful campaign for Greeneville mayor.

Later, he went to work for the Tennessee Department of Corrections as a field representative: a position he very much enjoyed.  He later transferred to the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration as an engineering consultant, but retired after experiencing kidney failure.

Mr. Pierce was active in the community as well as in business and in public responsibilities.

When he was growing up, his family had attended the United Methodist Church.  When he began attending Presbyterian-affiliated Tusculum College, however, he and his own family began attending Greeneville Cumberland Presybterian Church, where he sang in the choir and was active with the youth.

Mr. Pierce also worked with young people at the Greene County YMCA when it was located near the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the early 1970s.  After his remarriage, he later joined his wife's church, Greeneville Seventh-day Adventist.  He was also a member of the Greeneville Optimist Club, the Civitan Club, Moose Lodge No. 692, and the Elks Lodge, and was a Mason.

Mr. and Mrs. Pierce very much enjoyed the hobby of travel, and had journeyed together to Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Canada, and Africa. Their favorite destination was Revelstoke, British Columbia, in Canada.

Survivors include, in addition to his widow: two daughters and sons-in-law: Janet Elizabeth and Chester Logan, and Constance Louise "Connie" and Terry A Moore; three grandsons: Thomas Matthew Logan, William Edward Logan, and Abraham Joshua Douglas; one granddaughter: Elizabeth Blair Jones; one brother and sister-in-law: James Wayland (Jimmy) and Jonnie Deaton Pierce; three sisters and two brothers-in-law: Phyllis Marie and Roland McAmis, Wanda Louise and Vernon Hall, and Norma Jean Pierce Mott; and a number of aunts, uncles, great-nieces and great-nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his first wife and his step-mother, Myrtle Luttrell Brown Pierce, in addition to his parents.

The funeral service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Greeneville Seventh-day Adventist Church, with interment to follow at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Pallbearers will include Mr. Pierce's nephews. Honorary pallbearers will be friends, especially members of the Greeneville High School Class of 1948 and the Tusculum College Class of 1954.

The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. today at Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home, which is in charge of arrangements.

Inducted October 19, 2007 

Gene Warden was another of the undefeated 1942 team’s outstanding members.  With Warden at fullback, King at tailback, and Boyd Mason at wingback and punter, GHS had plenty of ways to score.  This coupled with the fact that the 1942 team only gave up a total of 12 points for the season, six points to Newport and six to Knox Young.  The Newport points came after Greeneville had scored to go up 21-0 just before half time.  Coach Disney had removed all eleven starters using 11 new people for the kickoff.  Newport ran it back for a touchdown. 

After the 1942 season “Patch-eye” entered the military where he was a glider pilot landing behind the German lines on “D” Day.  When he returned from the war, Patch-eye finished requirements for his GHS diploma following which he was signed to a professional baseball contract by Dale Alexander.  He played a couple years in the Carolina League and also was a member of the outstanding Magnavox semi-professional team.  

Patch-eye then started his career as an X-ray technician at a Kingsport hospital.   He continued to live in Greeneville and support GHS athletics until his death.