RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University Athletics Hall of Fame enshrined its sixth induction class, featuring nine individuals, during a Friday evening ceremony in EKU’s Keen Johnson Building.
The 2011 induction class includes:
Peggy Gay-Moore (women’s basketball, 1975-79);
Ray Giltner (baseball, 1946-49);
Joe Harper (men’s basketball, 1947-51);
Ernie House (football, 1974-77);
Tim Lester (football, 1988-91);
Dr. John Meisenheimer (swimming, 1975-79);
Frank Nassida (football, 1953-54);
Joe Richard (football, 1976-79);
Sue Schaefer Morgan (women’s cross country/track & field, 1977-81).
The group will also be recognized just prior to the Colonels’ football game against Tennessee Tech Saturday at 1 p.m.
For more information on the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, please contact Karl Park, Executive Director of the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, 859-200-6686 or
karl.park@eku.edu.
Below are the bios for the 2011 induction class.
Peggy Gay-Moore (women’s basketball, 1975-79)
Peggy Gay started for four seasons (1975-79) for coach Shirley Duncan’s EKU women’s basketball team and finished her career as the second leading scorer in Lady Colonel history with 1,696 points. Gay still holds single season school records for most fields made (235, 1978-79) and most field goals attempted (569, 1978-79). She came to Eastern from Buckhorn High School where she was a first-team Lexington Herald and second-team Courier Journal All-State selection where she not only played basketball but also played baseball for two seasons. In her very first game for EKU vs. Western Kentucky in 1975, she scored 16 points to help Eastern beat WKU, 73-59. That first season for Gay was one of the best in school history for the women’s basketball program as Eastern beat Cincinnati, Indiana, Dayton, Louisville twice, Kentucky twice, Western twice, North Carolina State and Marshall en route to a sparkling 17-3 record and the Kentucky Women’s Intercollegiate Conference title and runner-up spot in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Region II tournament while averaging 16.0 points per game. While EKU was winning its fifth straight state title, Gay was an All-Bellarmine Invitational choice in 1975-76. She followed that season up with scoring averages of 13.9, 19.7 and 17.6 points for her next three years at Eastern and became the school’s first 1,000-point scorer during her junior campaign. As a junior, she scored 38 points in Eastern’s 75-72 win over Louisville and was an All-KWIC pick that season. Another highlight for Gay came in the opener of her senior year against No. 1 ranked Tennessee when she scored 26 points, prompting Lady Vol coach Pat Head Summitt to say, “That Peggy Gay is a super player, one of the best I’ve seen.” Following graduation in 1979 after being named first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference, Gay was drafted by the Philadelphia Fox of the Women’s Basketball League and played one season for that pro team. After receiving her master’s degree in elementary education in 1984, she served one season as an assistant coach at Morehead State. She then taught at Buckhorn High School for seven years and the past 18 years at Breathitt County High School where she also coached the Lady Cats for the past eight years, compiling a 148-92 record and winning four Region 14 titles, advancing to the second round of the state tournament in 2007-08 when Breathitt County was 27-5. Having retired from the coaching role this past summer, Gay continues to teach at Breathitt County High School. An avid gardener, she and her husband, Leon, have two sons, Kyle and Kevin.
Ray Giltner (baseball, 1946-49)
Ray Giltner played four seasons (1946-49) for coach Turkey Hughes’ EKU baseball team, serving the Maroons as one of its starting pitchers. As a freshman in 1946, he earned the nickname “Big Ray” and had a highlight that season of striking out 18 batters in a win over Centre College. As a sophomore, he was one of four Maroon hurlers who threw one of just eight no-hitters in Eastern history as he whiffed all nine batters he faced in a 13-0 Eastern victory over Union College. Later on in his career, the Eastern pitching rotation of Giltner, Don Newsome and Carl Eagle was called “the best in the state”. He closed out his stellar four-year career with a 10-7 victory over the University of Louisville. Giltner earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Eastern in 1949 and a master’s degree in education from Eastern in 1950. Giltner, who passed away in 1995, was president of EKU’s Alumni Association in 1962-63 and again in 1990-91. He was also a director of the EKU Foundation and vice chair of the Foundation’s Planned Giving Committee. He was inducted into EKU’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni and was a charter member of the Colonel Club. In 1991, the University awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree. He was also the chairman of the Kenton County Board of Education from 1978-86, retired president of the Envelope House in Covington, a stockholder and board member of The Recorder Newspapers and a former board member of the Huntington National Bank in Northern Kentucky. Giltner was also a Mason, a Shriner, a Church Elder, coach and a veteran of World War II. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jean; two daughters Becky and Mary Elizabeth; and six grandchildren.
Joe Harper (men’s basketball, 1947-51)
Joe Harper, known as “Jumping Joe” Harper during the four seasons (1947-51) he played basketball for coach Paul McBrayer, was a part of four winning teams at Eastern, including the 1948-49 team that went 17-4 and at one time was ranked 10th in the nation with a final ranking of 27th and the 1949-50 Maroon squad that finished 11th in the nation with a 16-6 record and won the post-season OVC Tournament. Harper’s best season was his senior year in 1950-51 when he averaged 10.2 points per game as Eastern finished 16-7 overall, concluding the year in both second place in the OVC’s regular season standings and in the OVC Tournament. Coming to Eastern from London (KY) High School, Harper, as a sophomore at EKU, made two big baskets toward the end of the game to cement a 53-49 regular season-ending victory over the University of Louisville in the Weaver Health Building. Three games later in the consolation 64-44 triumph over Morehead State in the first-ever OVC Tournament held at the Louisville Armory, he led Eastern in scoring vs. the Eagles with 20 points which included making 10-11 from the free throw line. In his four years with the Maroons, Eastern totaled 68 wins in 94 contests with two of these squads attaining Top 20 national rankings during the season. In addition to lettering four years in basketball at Eastern, he also lettered three years in track and one season in baseball. Harper would have probably lettered more than one season in baseball, but he wasn’t allowed to play at EKU for three seasons because he had been signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. After graduating from Eastern in 1952, he spent two years serving in the Army in the Korean War before entering the coaching profession as head coach at Brodhead High School where he stayed for five seasons. He then was hired as head coach at Monticello High School in 1957 where he led the Trojans to six regional titles, two regional runners-up finishes, making it to the Sweet Sixteen state championship game in 1960 before losing to Louisville Flaget, 65-56. In 1980, he moved across town to coach the Wayne County High School Cardinals for six seasons, retiring in 1986. His career coaching record at all three schools was 517-384, culminating in 1993 with his induction into the Kentucky High School Athletics Hall of Fame. Now deceased, he is survived by his wife, the former Barbara Elaine Scoville; two daughters, Becky Ables (Ron) and Letitia Ducas (Chris); son, Joe, Jr. (Becky); and grandchildren, Gabriel, Salina, Amanda, Robby, Wells, Ike and Pierce.
Ernie House (football, 1974-77)
Ernie House started for three seasons and lettered all four years (1974-77) at quarterback for the EKU football Colonels. He was the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 1976 (along with fellow EKU Hall of Fame member Everett “Poo-Loo” Talbert) when he set a new Eastern record for most yards total offense with 1,685 and led the Colonels to the OVC title with an 8-3 record. He was also named first team All-American among Phi Delta Theta fraternity members nationwide in 1977. That ’76 season, House hit 107-201 passes for 1,486 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing the ball for another 199 yards and five scores. In his first season as the starting QB in 1975, he tied an Eastern school record when he threw four touchdown passes in a single game versus Austin Peay and finished third in the league in total offense. In ’76, he led the OVC in total offense and was second in passing. As a senior in 1977, he finished second in the OVC in total offense and in passing and set EKU single season records for most yards passing (1,547) and most yards total offense (1,740). While serving two seasons as team co-captain, he finished his career with 4,011 yards passing for 28 touchdowns and a completion percentage of .510. His career rushing totals showed 571 yards rushing with 14 touchdowns scored. He is currently serving his second stint on the Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents.
Tim Lester (football, 1988-91)
Tim Lester played four seasons (1988-91) for coach Roy Kidd’s EKU football Colonels, playing both fullback and tailback positions. He came to Eastern in 1987 but was forced to miss that season with an injury. As a freshman in 1988, he was recognized on the first-team All-OVC team after finishing second in the conference in rushing to teammate Elroy Harris with 1,239 yards rushing which was the 10th best total in I-AA football that year. He was also recognized as OVC Rookie of the Week five times that season. As a sophomore in 1989, he played but two games following another injury, after entering the season as the top ranked runningback in Division I-AA by The Sporting News. He returned to form as a junior in 1990 and rushed for 1,047 yards which included totaling the most rushing yards in a single game in I-AA football that season when he ran for 291 yards versus Tennessee Tech. He finished that season with the second highest rushing total in the OVC and the 17th best in the nation. As a senior, Lester was again chosen first-team All-OVC as he finished fourth in the OVC with 1,204 yards, while scoring 17 touchdowns which tied for the OVC lead in scoring. He finished his career with 3,640 yards rushing, sixth all-time on the Eastern history list, and scored 37 touchdowns. While at Eastern, the Colonels compiled a 42-8 record, won three conference titles and advanced to the semifinals of the I-AA playoffs twice. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, he was taken in the 10th round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams and played his first three seasons in the NFL with that franchise. In 1995-98 he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and competed in Super Bowl 30 in 1995 against the Dallas Cowboys. He closed his pro career in 1999 with the Cowboys. Seven of Lester’s eight years of playing pro football were highlighted by opening the holes for All-Pro runningback Jerome “The Bus” Bettis. Upon completion of his pro football career, he started a non-profit organization called Pigskin Academy which mentors, tutors, prepares and trains at-risk athletes to be successful on and off the field. Lester has gone into the ministry and resides in the Atlanta, GA, area. He and his wife Natalie have four children: Edward, T.J. and twins Tristan and Toni Rae.
Dr. John Meisenheimer (swimming, 1975-79)
John Meisenheimer swam four seasons for coach Dan Lichty’s Electrifying Eels where he was a multiple event Kentucky Intercollegiate Conference champion and a Midwest Independent Conference record holder. He competed in all of the freestyle events for EKU and was a school record holder in the 50 and 200 free as well as the 400-medley relay and 400 and 800 free relays. Additionally, he won the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s rough water mile-swim representing Eastern in 1977. He was a recipient of EKU’s swim team’s 110 per cent award and EKU Scholar Athlete award all four years, and was the second athlete in Eastern’s history to receive the NCCA scholar-athlete postgraduate scholarship award. He was the first athlete from EKU’s Model Lab School to compete four years in a varsity sport at Eastern. At Model he held school records in all the freestyle and butterfly events. While a student at EKU, he served as the President of the E Club (lettermen’s club) and Caduceus Club and was a member of several academic honor societies. He is best remembered for his swimming stunt, which garnered national attention, when he swam ½ mile with his foot in his mouth. The feat landed him in Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Following his graduation with a bachelor's degree in pre-medicine, he earned his medical degree at University of Kentucky. He practices Dermatology and Mohs surgery in Orlando, FL where he is the Chief of Dermatology at Orlando Regional Health System. He continues to swim and coach and has set numerous national and world masters records. Thousands have participated in his internationally recognized daily lake swim “Lucky’s Lake Swim” hosted at his home since 1989. A lifetime member of the American Swimming Coaches Association he is a certified level 5 swim coach and has served as the president of the Masters Aquatics Coaches association. He has been involved in numerous civic organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors of Orlando’s YMCA Aquatic Center since 1992 and as head coach of the Special Olympics swim team since 1993. He has authored two books “Lucky’s Collector’s Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos”, which is in the Smithsonian Institution, and his critically acclaimed novel “The Immune”. Additionally, he holds the Guinness World’s Record for the largest Yo-Yo collection. He and his wife, Jacquie, have three sons, John VII, Jake and Maximus.
Frank Nassida (football, 1953-54)
Frank Nassida played offensive tackle/defensive tackle and outside linebacker in the 4-4 defense during two Eastern Kentucky Maroons’ football seasons (1953-54). His junior season, under the direction of head coach Tom Samuels, Nassida was a driving force in Eastern’s 8-2 season when he was selected second-team All-OVC in 1953. During his senior year, under head coach Glenn Presnell, Nassida was named first-team All-OVC and co-captained the Maroons’ first OVC championship team that was selected to play in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, FL. He transferred to Eastern after one year at the University of Pittsburgh and two seasons at the University of Miami. While playing for Miami, he was part of the Hurricane team that played in the 1951 Orange Bowl and the 1952 Gator Bowl. He graduated in 1955 from Eastern with a Bachelors of Science degree in Health/Physical Education teaching with a minor in History and in 1971 he acquired a Masters Degree from EKU in education and later a Rank 1 certification. After graduating from Eastern in 1955, he served as a football coach for the United States Army team in Fort Lewis, WA, from 1955-56. From 1957-59, he was the head football coach and an assistant basketball coach at St. John’s Central High School in Bellaire, OH. He also served as head football coach, track coach and athletic director at Berea City School from 1964-66. He served on the Richmond City Council in 1968 before being appointed as Richmond City Chief of Police from 1968-70. From 1970-1991, he began an association with the Madison County school system which included teaching positions of teaching math, director of pupil personnel, assistant principal, principal of Kit Carson Elementary School, principal of Madison Central High School and District transportation director. He is a lifetime member of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, the National Education Association, the Madison County Education Association and the Madison County Retired Teachers Association. He is a member of the EKU Colonel Club and officer of the EKU Worn Cleat Club. Frank and his wife, Joe Ann have three children, 11 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Currently Frank and Joe Ann reside in Richmond.
Joe Richard (football, 1976-79)
Joe Richard, a member of EKU’s All-Century Football team which was announced in 2009, was a four-year starter at noseguard for coach Roy Kidd’s Colonels. In being selected first-team All-OVC as a junior and senior, Richard totaled 278 tackles and 186 assists in a brilliant four-year career, including 97 solo tackles and 49 assists in 1979. One of the highlights of his outstanding career was a 16 tackle performance he produced as a senior in a Homecoming victory over Western Kentucky. He is credited with coming up with one of the biggest plays in Eastern football history when he blocked an extra point by Nevada Reno late in the semifinal game of the 1979 I-AA playoffs that sent the contest into double overtime where the Colonels won 33-30 on their way to the school’s first national football championship. During his four seasons at EKU, the Colonels were 32-12, including an outstanding freshman season in 1976 that saw EKU win the OVC and participate in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Voted Most Valuable Player his junior and senior seasons, Richard won numerous OVC Player of the Week honors for the Colonels. Following graduation from EKU, he had training camp stints with several Canadian Football League teams – Edmonton Eskimos (1981), Montreal Concords (1982) and the Hamilton Tiger Cats (1985). He graduated from EKU in 1980 with a bachelor of arts degree in art curriculum. He is also graduated from Columbus State College with an Associate of Science degree in Sport and Fitness Management and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Fire Science, graduating Cum Laude and being inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa National Honors Society. He is currently serving as a firefighter lieutenant in Columbus, OH. He is currently serving on the Executive Board as a Trustee for the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters. He is also serving as Vice President of the Columbus FireFighters Union and is Vice President of the Ohio AFL/CIO. He also serves as Chair and as a member of various union committees on those boards. Joe also served on the Firefighters Association Human Relations Committee.
Sue Schaefer Morgan (women’s cross country/track & field, 1977-81)
Sue Schaefer competed on the Eastern cross country and track teams for four seasons (1977-81) for coach Sandy Martin. Following graduation from high school, she won the 3,000-meter run at the AAU Nationals at UCLA in June of 1977 before enrolling at EKU. She attained All-American status in 1977 when she ran a personal best of 17:37 for the 5,000 meters, placing fifth at the Cross Country nationals. She also reached All-American status in 1978 when she placed fifth at the NCAA Track Outdoor National Meet where she was clocked in a school record time of 16:05.0. She was an integral part of two OVC outdoor (1979 and 1980) championship teams at Eastern and was named OVC Female Cross Country Runner of the Year in 1980. Her senior season, Schaefer was the 1981 OVC champion in the outdoor 1,500, 3,000 and the 5,000-meter runs. She is still listed as the current OVC championship meet record holder in the outdoor 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:49.06 (recorded in 1981) and is the current school record holder in the 5,000-meter run (16:05.0). She is also listed with the second all-time fastest time in school history in the 3,000-meter run with her clocking of 9:27.0. Schaefer came to Eastern from Buffalo, NY, where she graduated from Clarence High School in 1977. While at Clarence High, she was the high school national champion in the two-mile run and participated in the Olympic tryouts at Squaw Valley, CA, in the summer of 1977. She currently resides in Barnesville, OH, with her husband, Bill Morgan, also a former EKU cross country/track runner and coaches the boys’ track and cross country teams at Barnesville High School. She is currently serving as assistant track coach at Barnesville. They have four daughters who have each competed in collegiate track – Ruthie (Cornell), Molly (Liberty), Jenny (Michigan) and Stephanie (Illinois).
