The Bill Carr Museum and Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame will open its doors in the spring of 2025 to honor the greatest athletes in Jefferson County, Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Main Library Director Ricky Williams announced.
“We are very excited to expand the Bill Carr Room here to the Bill Carr Museum and Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame,” Williams said. The room is named after Carr, who won two gold medals in track and field in the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“The legacy of Bill Carr and his greatness will be remembered even more now by recognizing the outstanding athletes in Jefferson County for the past 100 years,” Williams said. “The Selection Committee made of sports writers and historians, with nearly 200 combined years of experience, possess knowledge that dates back more than six decades. They have been working for over a year on this project and I feel we have a first-year class that could match any in the country.”
The committee includes:
Jeff Gross, committee chairman, former writer at the Pine Bluff News, former college sports information director and presently CEO of PRO-DAY Baseball.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Jim Harris, former sports editor at The Pine Bluff Commercial and presently managing editor for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
I.C. Murrell, former sports editor at The Commercial and presently its senior reporter.
Carl Whimper, former sports information director at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and presently career coach in the Watson Chapel School District.
“The Hall of Fame Class will consist of athletes who have played in the MLB, NBA, NFL and many other sports,” Gross said. “Our most emphasis is on the success they had after high school.
“We will honor over 100 athletes, coaches and teams in the inaugural class. So many great athletes (dating) back to the 1920s.”
To be eligible, candidates must have:
been born in Jefferson County;
spent their early childhood here;
graduated from high school here or
lived more than half a life here.
Candidates must also be in good standing with the law and be at least 25 years old, unless the candidate has died before age 25.
The Bill Carr Museum and Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame will also honor UAPB’s greatest athletes, the greatest sports moments and lifetime achievement awards in future exhibits.