WALL OF HONOR INDUCTEES 1900-1949
Wall of Honor Inductees
1900 – 1950
Roy Holcomb – Track – 1909
At the 1909 State Track Meet, Holcomb won gold medals in the 100, 200, 440 & Hammer throw. He won Silver Medals in the 50 & 880 relay, he also had a bronze medals in the shot put & 120 hurdles. Holcomb scored more points at one state track meet than anyone in 10o years.
He set 4 State Track records in 1909. His state records in the 220 and 440 held unitl 1912, they were broken by the great Willis Maxson of beaumont.
Holcomb also played football, baseball & basketball. He later ran at the University of Texas.
Roy Holcomb Full Write Up – 1909
Pat Dougherty – Track – 1909
At the 1909 State Track Meet Dougherty won gold medals in the broad jump and discus, Silver medals in the 100, 220, 120 hurdles & the 880 relay.
Dougherty set two state records, His state mark of 96’3? held until 1912, when Davidson of Temple threw 100'.
Dougherty was also the Captain of the baseball team and “one of the fastest ends in Texas” as a member of the Belton Tiger Football team.
Dougherty was later executive assistant to Texas Governors Dan Moody & Ross Sterling, assistant TX attorney general, assistant in U.S. Dept. of Justice & and Austin city attorney and municipal judge.
1909 – Pat Dougherty Full Write Up
Arthur O’Connor – Track – 1909
At the 1909 State Track Meet O’Connor won a gold medal in the 880 yd run and set a state record (2:12.4) which held until 1915. O’Connor won also won a silver medal in the 880 yd relay.
O’Connor received a UT law degree in 1916 & practiced law in Belton from 1943-1970.
1909 – Arthur O’Connor Full Write Up
Olan Higginbotham – Football – 1923
Higginbotham was Belton’s first All-State football player, named by Waco Tribune-Herald in 1923.
He was one of only 2 players from a small school named to a 33 man large school All-State Team. Higgonbotham led Belton to a 7-1-1 record & its 2nd ever win over Temple.
Higgonbotham started at left tackle at Southwestern University in Georgetown in 1928 & was a 2-year starter at St. Mary’s University of San Antonio in 1929 & 1930.
His family came to Belton in 1913 & he lived all his life in Bell County.
1923 – Olan Higginbotham Full Write Up
Joe Barnes – Football – 1931
Joe was named Belton’s top athlete in 1932. He was the starting Quarterback weighing in at 140 lbs. Joe also played basketball, track & baseball.
In the County Meet of 1932, Joe won the 120 hurdles and was on the winning mile relay team.
After the 1931 baseball season, he was offered a contract by the Houston Buffaloes of the Texas League. Barnes payed football & basketball for 4 years at Southwestern University, where he was named most outstanding player in the Texas Conference in 1935. Barnes is a member of Southwestern’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
1931 – Joe Barnes Full Write Up
Rayborn Vannoy – Football – 1935
Rayborn Vannoy was named 1st Team All-State by the Waco Tribune Herald in 1935. Was All-District 31-B (only 18 Districts in the State) in 1934 & 1935, was named District MVP in 1935.
Played football at Westminster College & at Howard Payne College.
1935 – Rayborn Vannoy Full Write Up
Melton Dugger – Football – 1935
Dugger was named 2nd Team All-State by the Waco Tribune-Herald in 1935 as a Sr and was Honorable Mention All-state as a Jr in 1934. Was an All-District 31-B selection in 1934 & 1935.
Dugger played football at westminster College in Tehuacana Texas. He also served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. He is buried in Sam Houston National Cemetery.
1935 – Melton Dugger Full Write Up
Blackie Sherrod – Football – 1936
Sherrod (known as Texas’ most famous sportswriter) was the QB for the 1935 Belton Tiger Football team.
Sherrod was the sports editor of the Dallas Times Herald & the Dallas Morning News from 1960’s thru the 1990’s.
Sherrod was named several times as TX & National Sports Writer of the year.
1936 – Blackie Sherrod Full Write Up
Charles “Steak” Miller – Football – 1937
Miller was named to the Class B All-State Football Team by the Waco Tribune-Herald after his Jr year of 1937. The Tigers went (9-0) in District in 1937. In 1937 the Tiger defense allowed only 6 points on the year.
Miller was selected and played in the 1938 Oil Bowl All-Star Game in Wichita Falls. He then went on to play 2 seasons at Texas A&M.
Miller served in World War II and later operated his won construction company.
1937 – Charles Miller Full Write Up
Jamie Wilson – Basketball – 1938
Wilson was named to the All-State Tournament team at the State Basketball Tournament of 1938, he was selected as one of the top 5 players on the top 8 teams at state.
The 6’2? forward scored 16 of Belton’s 24 points in the state tournament loss to Dallas Woodrow Wilson. Wilson was Belton’s leading scorer for three years on the Tiger Basketball team that went to the regional tournament 1936, 37 & 38.
Belton upset Dallas Thomas Jefferson High School in the regional final to make the “Final Eight” at the State Tournament.
Wilson also played End on 2 Tiger District Championship football teams & played in the Oil Bowl All-Star game in Wichita Falls in 1938.
He went on the play two years of football & basketball at Texas A&M before joining the Marines and serving in World War II.
