I agree with you Ernie. You may remember me. I am a 1947 graduate of Holly Grove High and retired from the USAF 1 Aug 1969. I have been all over the world and Holly Grove is still deep within my heart and I hope that some day it will have a rebirth. I still go back to visit it whenever I can but it breaks my heart to see it. I would give anything if it were like when we went to school there. Ralph E. Hall Capt USAF retired hallafret@aol.com
Webster defines pride as believing and having joy in your own abilities, achievements, and possessions. I dont know what made me feel this way, but as far back as I can remember, I felt that Holly Grove had the best of everything - the best churches, the best places to hunt and fish, the best cotton farms, the best teachers, the smartest students, and the best football and basketball teams anywhere. I think most of the people who lived in Holly Grove felt the same way.
Later I would realize that some of my feelings of pride might have been a wee bit over stated. Never the less, I am convinced that because we believed we were from the best place, we had to always strive to be the best, and the result was it made us become better people.
On a recent visit to Holly Grove, I looked at the school and the places of business and I worried about the present condition of Holly Grove pride. Then I remembered a place that honors those who have been the best in their field in the whole state of Arkansas. It is the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Its objective is The selection, recognition, and acknowledgment of those persons who through outstanding achievement and accomplishments in any form of endeavor in sports, have brought honor, prestige, and fame to the state of Arkansas.
The criteria to select honorees stated that Selection would be based on athletic accomplishment, character, and leadership, national significance of honoree, conduct during years following active participation in athletics, prestige to the Hall of Fame, representation of women, balance between old-timers and present generation, national publicity, honor and credit brought to the home state, and representation of all sports over the years.
As you can see, the bar is set very high for being selected into this legendary group. It makes me swell with pride to know that four of the people who have achieved this honor have Holly Grove roots!
They are Coach Sonny Gordon (1984), Coach Bob Courtway (1995), Coach Ken Turner (2001), and Coach Buddy Harding (2002). These four men have been placed in the same group with such sports luminaries as Frank Broyles, Clyde Scott, Nolan Richardson, and Jerry Jones. Along with many others from Holly Grove, I have a special pride in our four representatives because I had the honor of playing football, basketball, and track under Coach Gordon and Coach Courtway, I played those same sports with Ken Turner as a team mate, and I played against Coach Hardings fine Clarendon teams.
I hope some day there will be a resurgence of the economy and growth in Holly Grove, but even if there isnt, Holly Grove Pride will always remain alive because of Coach Gordon, Coach Courtway, Coach Turner, and Coach Harding and their selection into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
-- Edited by Danyelle McNeill Fletcher at 19:31, 2008-09-02
