Wittenberg Announces Athletics Hall Of Honor Class of 2000

Sept. 13, 2000

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Four former Tiger athletic greats will be added to Wittenbergs Hall of Honor during Homecoming weekend ceremonies, October 27-29. The new inductees are Ron Murphy '60, Bob Rosencrans '8, Brenda Shaw '89 and Jim Walsh '50.

The inductees will be honored at halftime of the Wittenberg-Hiram football game, which kicks off at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 28. They will be formally inducted into the Hall of Honor at a dinner later that evening.

Ron Murphy, of Springfield, Ohio, is well-known in Tiger athletics, both on and off the field. As a student-athlete, Murphy was a four-year letterwinner in football and still holds the third place spot on the career touchdowns list with 34. As a coach, he served as assistant to both Bill Edwards and Dave Maurer on the football field before taking the helm in 1984. Murphy also coached the track & field and mens tennis teams to much success during his tenure, with the track & field team achieving a record of 88-32-4 in dual meets over 16 years and the mens tennis team winning six consecutive OAC championships in the late 1980s. He retired from Wittenberg in 1995.

Bob Rosencrans, of Springfield, Ohio, epitomizes the public perception of Wittenberg athletics. During his student days, he won three letters in football and was named Wittenberg University honorable mention All-Ohio Athletic Conference, dove for the Tiger swimming team and was captain of the track team. After one year as an assistant football coach, Rosencrans coached at both Denison University and Kent State University before returning to Wittenberg in 1970. He served as co-defensive coordinator as the Tiger football teams won six OAC championships and two national titles, as well as leading the swimming, wrestling and golf teams. Rosencrans was named mens athletic director in 1982, a position in which he served for 10 years. He retired from Wittenberg in 1995.

Brenda Shaw, of Delaware, Ohio, was a standout swimmer during her career at Wittenberg. She qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet in at least six events in each of four years. She was named team most valuable swimmer for three seasons and co-captain for two. Her 20 All-America commendations put her at the top of the list in Tiger athletics. Since graduation, Shaw has worked for the Ohio Department of Development, the Knox County Area Development Foundation and the Heart of Danville. Shaw has a daughter, Regan.

Jim Walsh, of Springfield, Ohio, was a well-rounded member of the Tiger football team, serving on the offense, defense, and as a punter. As the leading punter in the OAC, Walsh was a bright spot on the Tiger gridiron in the late 1940s. He also spent time on the baseball diamond, pitching his way to four varsity letters. Following graduation, Walsh held football coaching positions at Clark Junior High and Springfield North High School. He later joined Springfield Federal and Loan, where he enjoyed a 24-year career. He retired in early 1991. In more recent years, Walsh has spent his time selling homes, as a representative of Goodrich and Vereen Realtors.