National Watermelon Association To Inaugurate First Class Into Hall Of Fame
December 22, 2015 The National Watermelon Association (NWA) will honor 28 past leaders of the association as the Inaugural Class of the NWA Hall of Fame at the Annual Awards Banquet during the National Watermelon Association Annual Convention, Feb. 24-27 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans resort hotel.
“We have been discussing the creation of a Hall of Fame for a few years to begin the process to honor our forefathers and past leaders that built and nurtured this historic organization,” said Bob Morrissey, Executive Director of the National Watermelon Association. “We have a long-standing history that we are proud of, and the time has arrived to begin this deserved process of recognition and thanks.”
The NWA will bring together hundreds of the Association’s leaders and members to learn, participate, educate, make contributions, and enjoy fellowship at the annual convention.
“We are truly excited to begin this very deserving process,” Morrissey added. “With 102 years of history behind us, we have a great deal of work to do that will honor our forefathers – from the 18 people that assembled in the early 1900s in Atlanta to create this storied association, to those leaders that nurtured it through the its first century of service.
“The inductees will always hold a special place in the National Watermelon Association as the Inaugural Class,” he said. “We look forward to future years, and additional classes being inducted. The National Watermelon Association Hall of Fame will be a place that has been earned with hard work, dedication and love for the Association.”
The Inductees of the Inaugural Class of the NWA Hall of Fame:
B.G. Anderson Tom Ayoob Bob Bloebaum
Eustis, FL Pittsburgh, PA Clermont, FL
Percy Bunch John Campbell Nancy Childers
Murfreesboro, NC Lakeland, FL Morven, GA
Oren Childers John Cooper F.H. Dicks, Jr.
Cordele, GA Centre, AL Barnwell, SC
Gerald Funderburk W.W. Glenn Al Harrison
Jefferson, SC Marianna, FL Nogales, AZ
Vernon Highley Josephine Hughes Dallas Jones
Fresno, CA Houston, TX Clermont, FL
Bill Knowles Harmon Lawson C.M. ‘Buddy’ Leger
Leesburg, FL Morven, GA Cordele, GA
J.D. Lowe, Jr. Wallace Luffman Ralph Meitin
Henderson, TX Salisbury, MD Zellwood, FL
Howard Sorrells Vincent ‘Jim’ Vitale C.C. Winkler
Arcadia, FL Detroit, MI Vincennes, IN
Ernie Zaferis Bob Dietz J.B. Easterlin
Los Angeles, CA Chicago, IL Montezuma, GA
Gordon Etheridge
Raleigh, NC
Registration for the Hall of Fame Induction and the Annual Convention’s numerous events is available at www.watermelon.ag. For questions about the convention, contact the NWA office at [email protected], or by calling 863-619-7575.
Subscribe Today For
