By Charlie Brotman
(Co-Chairman, Emeritus, DC Sports Hall of Fame)
The inception of the DC Sports Hall of Fame took place in 1980 when the general manager of the DC Armory Board—Robert (Bob) Sigholtz— created the Washington Hall of Stars at RFK Stadium to commemorate and honor many of the top athletes and sports personalities in the Washington area.
In organizing a Selection Committee— for names to be considered for induction in this official Washington DC Hall of Fame— Sigholtz invited a number of his friends/contacts who were closely associated with sports in the greater Washington DC area. Names that I remember among the original committee members were broadcast executive Andy Ockershausen, Bobby Mitchell, Michael O’Harro, Ken Beatrice, Chuck Hinton, George Michael and myself.
Chosen for the first class were Sammy Baugh (Redskins), Joe Judge (Senators), Clark Griffith (Senators), Walter Johnson (Senators), Josh Gibson (Homestead Grays) and Arnold “Red” Auerbach (Celtics).
Jim Dalrymple was later named to replace Sigholtz as the general manager of RFK Stadium and the DC Armory— and the Hall of Stars continued inducting athletes and sports personalities in the greater Washington DC area. Under the Chairmanship of Ockershausen, sports heroes such as Joe Theismann (Redskins), John Riggins (Redskins), Wes Unseld (Bullets), Lee Elder (Golf), Harmon Killebrew (Senators), Melissa Belote (swimming), Sugar Ray Leonard (Boxing) were inducted, as well as sports personalities— owner Abe Pollin and journalists Shirley Povich (The Washington Post) and Morrie Siegel (The Washington Star and The Washington Times).
In 2001 the tribute went to the “September 11 Heroes.” The presentation was created and orchestrated on October 21, 2001, by Bobby Goldwater, then the president of DC Sports and Entertainment Commission— and took place at RFK stadium during the “United We Stand Concert” benefitting the “September 11 Relief Organizations.”
After 2001, the Hall of Stars went dark: no Selection Committee, no inductees, no ceremonies. I have no idea why!
But nine years later (June, 2009) Washington Post columnist John Kelly called me to get that ball rolling again.
I called my colleague, Andy Ockershausen, and told him he was now my co-chairman of the “new” Hall of Stars. “We are going to reenergize, revitalize, rejuvenate and resurrect Washington’s Hall of Stars.” First, I felt we need a name change. Hall of Stars was nice, but not definitive enough. So I renamed it “Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame.” Then we needed a Selection Committee of well-known Washington sports figures and media. Mark D. Lerner, vice chairman and principal owner of the Washington Nationals jumped in with both feet! When it was time to have a meeting of the Selection Committee, Mark was our host.
I asked Mark if it was possible to have a display of some kind at Nationals Park, listing the inductees in the Hall of Fame— and Mark came through again. A giant banner— in left field at Nationals Park— listing all the names of our Hall of Famers was created and we became the DC Sports Hall of Fame. (This giant poster has been updated every year since 2010, thanks to Mark.)
(Co-Chairman, Emeritus, DC Sports Hall of Fame)
The inception of the DC Sports Hall of Fame took place in 1980 when the general manager of the DC Armory Board—Robert (Bob) Sigholtz— created the Washington Hall of Stars at RFK Stadium to commemorate and honor many of the top athletes and sports personalities in the Washington area.
In organizing a Selection Committee— for names to be considered for induction in this official Washington DC Hall of Fame— Sigholtz invited a number of his friends/contacts who were closely associated with sports in the greater Washington DC area. Names that I remember among the original committee members were broadcast executive Andy Ockershausen, Bobby Mitchell, Michael O’Harro, Ken Beatrice, Chuck Hinton, George Michael and myself.
Chosen for the first class were Sammy Baugh (Redskins), Joe Judge (Senators), Clark Griffith (Senators), Walter Johnson (Senators), Josh Gibson (Homestead Grays) and Arnold “Red” Auerbach (Celtics).
Jim Dalrymple was later named to replace Sigholtz as the general manager of RFK Stadium and the DC Armory— and the Hall of Stars continued inducting athletes and sports personalities in the greater Washington DC area. Under the Chairmanship of Ockershausen, sports heroes such as Joe Theismann (Redskins), John Riggins (Redskins), Wes Unseld (Bullets), Lee Elder (Golf), Harmon Killebrew (Senators), Melissa Belote (swimming), Sugar Ray Leonard (Boxing) were inducted, as well as sports personalities— owner Abe Pollin and journalists Shirley Povich (The Washington Post) and Morrie Siegel (The Washington Star and The Washington Times).
In 2001 the tribute went to the “September 11 Heroes.” The presentation was created and orchestrated on October 21, 2001, by Bobby Goldwater, then the president of DC Sports and Entertainment Commission— and took place at RFK stadium during the “United We Stand Concert” benefitting the “September 11 Relief Organizations.”
After 2001, the Hall of Stars went dark: no Selection Committee, no inductees, no ceremonies. I have no idea why!
But nine years later (June, 2009) Washington Post columnist John Kelly called me to get that ball rolling again.
I called my colleague, Andy Ockershausen, and told him he was now my co-chairman of the “new” Hall of Stars. “We are going to reenergize, revitalize, rejuvenate and resurrect Washington’s Hall of Stars.” First, I felt we need a name change. Hall of Stars was nice, but not definitive enough. So I renamed it “Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame.” Then we needed a Selection Committee of well-known Washington sports figures and media. Mark D. Lerner, vice chairman and principal owner of the Washington Nationals jumped in with both feet! When it was time to have a meeting of the Selection Committee, Mark was our host.
I asked Mark if it was possible to have a display of some kind at Nationals Park, listing the inductees in the Hall of Fame— and Mark came through again. A giant banner— in left field at Nationals Park— listing all the names of our Hall of Famers was created and we became the DC Sports Hall of Fame. (This giant poster has been updated every year since 2010, thanks to Mark.)