Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame
There are many great two-sport athletes who have competed for Southwestern, but very few who competed in two different sports in the same season. Bob Welsh is the first Hall of Fame inductee who ran cross-country in the fall, then competed in both track and golf in the spring. At East High School in Memphis, Bob was an outstanding student and top-rate runner. He arrived at Southwestern one year after his high school teammate, Mike Cody. Under the tutelage of Coach Freeman Marr, Bob ran the mile and two-mile and held the two-mile record at Southwestern for a number of years. He also ran cross-country for four years and served as team captain his senior year.
Coach Bill Maybry, the cross-country and golf coach, talked Bob into playing on the Lynx golf team for three years, where Bob played #3. As teammate Mike Cody observed, “Bob would run in the morning, then play a golf match in the afternoon. He was always on the go with his academic, athletic and student body endeavors. He was simply amazing!”
Bob served as president of the Student Council his senior year and was also selected Mr. Southwestern. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in English, and his academic success led to selection for both the Woodrow Wilson and Danforth Fellowships, which Bob used to attend Duke, where he earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees. Bob was an award-winning college and high school English teacher.
Rhodes aspires to develop engaged students and dedicated athletes, and Bob Welsh serves as an inspiration for all current and future Lynx student-athletes. Rhodes is honored to induct ROBERT FORD WELSH into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame this 29th day of October, 2010.
