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Hall of Fame Members
Phil Acton through Bill Bright

Phil Acton '62
Football Letterwinner 1959-1961
High School Teacher and Coach in Florida, Indiana, and Illinois for 42 years
Seven-time Conference, County, and Area Coach of the Year
Accumulated 20 straight winning seasons at Bolingbrook (Ill.) High School
Guided Bolingbrook to 5A State Championship Game 1993
Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame 1997
Illinois High School Football Coaches Ray Elliot Award 2000
National High School Football Coach of the Year Nominee 1993, 1997, 2000
National Football Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award 2002
All-American Football Foundation Outstanding Performance Award 2002
Coached 168 eventual collegiate football players and 19 eventual professionals
Retired after 42 years of coaching at 9 different schools with a career record of 237-115 (.637) 2002
Coached a total of 19 Conference Champions and 17 State Playoff Teams
Named Teacher of the Year in Jackson Co. Florida and Tri-County High School (IN)
Still works as a High School football consultant
Inducted in 2003

 

Linda Rule Barnett '70
Five sport letterwinner 1967-1970
Girls Basketball Coach (24 years), Track Coach (17 years), and Volleyball Coach (16 years) at Clinton Central High School
Indiana Basketball All-Star Assistant Coach 1988
Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association "300 wins award" recipient for both volleyball and basketball
Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association 20 and 30 year award
Boasts 337 Volleyball Career Wins (.687) and 381 Basketball Career Wins (.683)
Guided Volleyball Teams to 2 Sectional and 2 Conference Crowns
Coached Basketball Teams to 10 Sectional, 2 Regional, and 11 Conference Championships
Athletic Director at Clinton Central High School (1997-present)
Member of the Executive Board of the Indiana High School Athletic Association since 1999
Recipient of the Greyhound Club "I" Person of the Year Award 2003
Inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame 2003
Inducted in 2004

 

Mary "Wimp" Baumgartner '57
Varsity Letterwinner in Volleyball, Basketball, and Track
Served 28 years as teacher and coach at Jimtown and Leo High Schools
Coached basketball, volleyball, track and gymnastics teams
Coached 1976-1977 Volleyball Team to IHSAA Final Four
Two-term Charter Member of the IHSAA Female Advisory Board 1972-1976
Played for six seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League 1949-1954
Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in November of 1988 as a part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Wing
Inducted in 1989

 

 

Judith Kay Powell Birgerson '67
Received a Total of 16 Varsity Letters at Indiana Central
Three-time Field Hockey Letterwinner
Four-time Volleyball Letterwinner
Four-time Basketball Letterwinner
Four-time Softball Letterwinner
One Track & Field Letterwinner
Indiana Central Female Athlete of the Year in 1967
Residence Hall President one year
PEMM Club Vice-President one year
American Business Women's Association "Woman of the Year" 1976
Outstanding Young Women of America 1977
American Business Women's Association Boss 1979
Past President American Business Women's Association
Inducted in 1999

 

Don Bisesi '60
Golf Letterwinner at Indiana Central College 1957-1960
Four-time All-Hoosier College Conference Golfer 1957-1960
Two-time Hoosier College Conference Player of the Year
Two-time NAIA National Tournament qualifier and participant
Runner-up Indianapolis Amateur Golf Championship 1961
Runner-up Dade County Florida Amateur Golf Championship 1963
Tri-State Player of the Year 1977
State Senior PGA Champion 1989
US Senior PGA Open qualifier and participant
Participated in three Senior PGA Tour events
Started Evansville Indiana Junior Golf Program in 1977
Received numerous awards for work with junior golfers
Inducted in 1999

 

Bill Bless '63
Football Letterwinner 1959-1962
Member of 1961 Hoosier College Conference Championship Team
Team Co-Captain 1962
Head Football and Track Coach at Greensburg and Whiteland High Schools 1965-1970
Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education at the University of Indianapolis
Head Coach of University of Indianapolis Football Team 1972-1993
Head Track Coach for 19 Years
All-time Winningest Football Coach in U of I History (114-99-9)
Indiana Central Alumni Coach of the Year 1968, 1969, 1978
Three-time Conference Coach of the Year
Greenwood City Councilman since 1987
Inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame 1994
Assistant Football Coach at Mooresville High School under son Mark Bless 1995-present
Winner of "Distinguished American award" given by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame 2005
Inducted in 2003

 

 

Bill Bright '54
Three Year Basketball Letterwinner 1951-1953
Second Team All Hoosier College Conference 1953
Two Time Team MVP
Three Year Baseball Letterwinner 1951-1953
Played on undefeated Hall of Fame Baseball team 1952
Amateur Baseball All-American
Holds nine baseball school records at the University of Indianapolis
Signed professional baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies after junior year
Walter Brennemen Award winner 1954
Coached at French Lick High School
Spent 32 years on staff at the University of Indianapolis
Coached baseball, basketball, cross country, and softball
University of Indianapolis Athletic Director 1977-1993
Inducted in 1988

 

Edgar Bright '26
Four-sport star earning 12 letters in basketball, baseball, football, and track
Played on the first football and track squads at Indiana Central in 1924-25
Selected to the Indiana Collegiate All-Star Basketball team and the Indiana All-College Football second team during Senior Season
Served as a High School Teacher, Coach, and Administrator for 26 years on Long Island, New York where he produced several outstanding football, baseball, and wrestling teams
Head Baseball coach at Long Island University for 10 years
Returned to Indiana Central in 1945 to restart the athletic program after it was dropped during the war years
Re-established the Indiana Central football program in the fall of 1946 after a 13 year absence
A driving force in founding the Hoosier College Conference in which Indiana Central was a prominent member for many years
The Indiana Central Basketball Team, under the direction of Coach Bright, was the host institution for the first collegiate double-header ever played in the Indiana State Fairground Coliseum: Harvard vs. Indiana Central and North Carolina vs. Holy Cross.
Inducted in 1990

 


Robert Brooker
Member of University faculty 1950-1988
Retired Bohn Chair Chemistry
Faculty athletics representative for 30 years
Chair of faculty athletics committee many years
Helped for the Heartland Collegiate and GLVC Conferences
President of Hoosier College Conference 3 times
President of Indiana Collegiate Conference
President of Heartland Collegiate Conference
President of Great Lakes Valley Conference
University of Indianapolis Honorary alumnus 1981
Mayor of Indianapolis Award 1994
State of Indiana Jefferson Award 1995
Military awards include: The Bronze Star, The Purple Heart, The Belgium Croix de Guerre, two Presidential Unit Citations, and two Army Commendations
Outstanding U of I Athlete Annual Award named in his honor
Inducted in 1999