Memphis - Today, Friday, November 6, 2020, should be a celebration of our annual Rhodes Athletics Hall of Fame recognition, kicking off athletic festivities for Homecoming Weekend. Unable to gather in person, we'd like to flash back to our inaugural Hall of Fame class who were inducted in 1996. 

Each have since passed on, but their legacies below are etched in Rhodes' history forever: 

Ralph Allen '73 - Football, basketball, track and field standout... broke javelin and decathlon records (6,592 points) which he still holds today... he was named All-CAC in 1970 and in 1972 tallied 38 receptions for 619 yards... Allen was the first track and field All-American in program history.


Henry Hammond '36 - Football and track and field star... tight end who earned All-Dixie honors in 1936... member of the 1936 Lynx football squad that lives in our history as the 12 "Iron Men"... first Lynx to ever be named a Little All-American... first Lynx to ever go pro - Hammond signed with the Chicago Bears for the 1937 season.


Gaylon Smith '39 - Football, basketball, track and field student-athlete... leading men's basketball scorer for three straight years... was third in the nation in football in 1938, scoring 97 points... set pole-vault and 100 yd dash records... earned second team All-Southern honors as well as Little All-American honors in 1938... also earned All-Dixie honors in 1937 and 1938.


Fans can read full bios on everyone in the Rhodes Athletics Hall of Fame, organized by class induction year, graduation year, name, or sport.