Nebraska Unveils Hall of Distinction

Lincoln — The University of Nebraska Athletic Department unveiled the West Stadium Hall of Distinction in 2004 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Hall of Distinction, which is located in the Hewit Center in West Memorial Stadium, honors every Husker letterwinner who has graduated and those who have earned national academic honors.

Nebraska men’s sports date back to 1890 and its women’s sports began nearly 30 years ago. During that span, 4,625 letterwinners have earned their degrees. Nebraska currently carries a 91 percent graduation rate for student-athletes who complete their eligibility at Nebraska.

The graduation display, which honors every student-athlete who lettered and earned their undergraduate degree, is in the same hallway as the academic All-American portraits, and a display honoring Nebraska’s nation-leading 14 NCAA Today’s Top Eight Award winners. Since the award began in 1960, Nebraska leads the nation in academic All-Americans with 217, first-, second-, and third-team honorees from all sports and also leads the nation in first-team academic All-Americans with 109.

NU Athletic Director Steve Pederson said the display was the brainchild and passion of Associate Athletic Director for Academic Programs and Student Services Dennis Leblanc.

"The very first time I met with Dennis, he was passionate about planning this display," Pederson said. "And with good reason. The day young student-athletes walk onto this campus to be recruited, we tell them all the same thing–the most important focus in their life over the next four years will be to graduate from the University of Nebraska. I am so proud of the 4,625 student-athletes listed as graduates in the Hall of Distinction. I am grateful to the faculty who taught them, to the university and athletic counselors who supported them, and to the coaches that made certain that academic success is our No. 1 priority.

"We have more than 100 student-athletes graduate each year. Our goal as an athletic department is to have every student-athlete receive a great education from this University, and to graduate. Dennis, Keith Zimmer and his staff have been relentless in their pursuit of this goal.

"We are also thankful for the support we have received over the years from two very special people," Pederson said. "Dick and Dale Herman began sponsoring our Student-Athlete Academic Recognition Banquet many years ago, and have helped us make this beautiful display a reality with their generous contributions today."

Many individuals devoted countless hours of work over the past two years to make the Hall of Distinction a reality. Approximately two years of research went into tracking the letterwinners to verify names, graduation dates and degrees.

"There were many people who put in numerous hours of research on this project, but I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the hard work of four people who literally put in hundreds of hours of work on this project," Leblanc said. "Jessica Hegr, Linda Olson, Cathy Urban and Betsy Gabb and many others at the Hewit Center recognized how important this display was in terms of recognizing the accomplishments of our student-athletes, and would not let anything get in the way of completing this display. This display means so much to the student-athletes. Every time a student walks past this display, they will be reminded of the reason they are here and that their goal is in sight."

Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, were 10 student-athletes and five staff members. Pederson, Leblanc, Faculty Athletics Representative Josephine Potuto, Dean of Admissions Alan Cerveny, and longtime Husker supporter Dick Herman each cut a ribbon, representing the academic and athletic staffs at Nebraska.

Dr. Pat Clare (class of 1962), a former football player and current team orthopedic physician, represented the first academic All-America class, earning first-team academic All-America honors in 1960, while former track standout Nicole Ali Simon (class of 1985), represents one of the first female academic All-Americans, earning the honor in 1985 and 1986. Just back from the Olympics, volleyball player Nancy Metcalf (class of 2001) spoke at the unveiling on behalf of former female student-athletes. Metcalf was a NCAA Today’s Top Eight Award winner in 2002. Former Husker basketball player Jamar Johnson (class of 2001) spoke briefly on behalf of all male student-athletes, and is a member of the 2001 graduating class.

The very first student-athlete graduates are six football players in 1892, including James Barkley, Charles Chandler, Frederick Hyde, James Porterfield, Charles Skiles and Jacob White.

The first female graduates at the University of Nebraska are volleyball letterwinner Catherine (Tina) Richardson and field hockey letterwinner Julie Mundoff (1975). Field hockey was a varsity sport at NU in 1975 and 1976.

The largest graduating classes are 2001 and 2003, when 120 graduates earned their degrees. Just two names are listed on the wall in 1893, 1894 and 1895. Because of the United States’ involvement in World War II, there were only four letterwinners who graduated in 1944 and 1945. Many of the athletes who graduated in 1946, 1947 and 1948 received letters in their sport before the war began and finished their athletic and academic careers after returning home. There were more graduates in 1892 (six) than during either 1944 (four) or 1945 (four).

Lincoln native Ed Schwartzkopf, who was an honorary ribbon cutter at the unveiling, is one such example. Schwartzkopf played guard for the Huskers, lettered in 1939 and 1940, then served in the war, before returning to letter again in 1946. After graduating in 1948 with a degree in education, Schwartzkopf served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents from 1967 to 1985.

With diligent persistence from Leblanc and his staff, many former student-athletes came back to the University, after being away for some time, to finish their degrees. Steve Warren, who participated in today’s ceremony, was a member of the 1997 national championship football team. He was a third-round draft pick by Green Bay in the 2000 NFL Draft and played for the Packers for three seasons. He finished his degree this summer, earning a bachelor of arts in sociology.

The other participating former student-athletes were Nebraska softball coach Rhonda Revelle (Women’s Softball, Class of 1984), Shawn Buchanan (Baseball, Class of 1991), three-time academic All-American Karen Jennings (Women’s Basketball, Class of 1993) and Shelley-Ann Brown (Women’s Track and Field, Class of 2004).

Former basketball player Clifford Moller represents the student-athlete with the longest span between years lettered and graduation. Moller lettered for the Huskers in 1969 and finished his degree 31 years later, earning a bachelor’s degree in communications studies in 2000. He went on to earn his master’s degree in community and regional planning in 2003.

The display features six oak columns, which have panels of black corian, engraved in gold with the names of every letterwinner who has graduated from Nebraska. The graduate’s name appears under the year he or she earned their degree in a chronological listing. Former Husker graduates are encouraged to come find their name, which will be permanently displayed for decades to come. The names are traceable on paper with charcoal-type pencils. The Hall of Distinction is open to the public on game days, beginning four hours prior to kickoff, and closing two hours before kickoff.

Former Student-Athlete Ribbon Cutters
Ed Schwartzkopf, Football
Schwartzkopf, who played guard for the Huskers from 1937 to 1940, earned All-Big Six honors in 1940 and was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1981. Schwartzkopf graduated in 1948 with a bachelor of science degree in education.

Dr. Pat Clare, Football
Clare joined Don Fricke as Nebraska’s first academic All-Americans when they earned the award in 1960. Clare also earned academic All-Big Eight honors in 1960 and 1961 at halfback for the Huskers. After graduating in 1962 with a bachelor of science degree in zoology, Clare attended medical school at the Nebraska Medical Center before starting a private practice in Lincoln. Clare is in his ninth year as Nebraska’s chief of staff and 31st year as a team orthopedist.

Rhonda Revelle, Softball
Revelle, who has coached the Nebraska softball team to national prominence since taking over in 1993, was one of the best pitchers in school history during her three-year career as a Husker from 1981 to 1983. A native of Eugene, Ore., Revelle earned a degree in education (physical education and health) from Nebraska. While coaching at San Jose State, Revelle earned a master’s degree in human performance with an emphasis in sports management.

Nicole Ali Simon, Track & Field
Ali Simon earned All-America honors four times during her stint with the Nebraska women’s track and field team from 1983 to 1986, three times in the 4x400-meter relay and once in the 4x800-meter relay. Also a two-time academic All-American, Simon collected five Big Eight Conference championships with the Huskers. Simon graduated in 1985 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration.

Shawn Buchanan, Baseball
Buchanan was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter for the Husker baseball team from 1988 to 1991. The Gary, Ind., native was a two-time All-Big Eight outfielder who holds Nebraska’s career mark for triples with 21 and also ranks among the school leaders in at-bats and games played. He is currently the president and CEO of All-American Meats, Inc. in Omaha, a wholesale distributor of beef products. Buchanan earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Nebraska in 1991.

Karen Jennings, Basketball
The most decorated player and scholar in the history of Nebraska women’s basketball, Karen Jennings is the Huskers’ only three-time first-team academic All-American and the only first-team All-American on the court. Nebraska’s all-time leading scorer with 2,405 points from 1990 to 1993, Jennings was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year (1992, 1993). She also claimed the Wade Trophy honoring the nation’s outstanding college player. A 1993 graduate in education, Jennings now lives in Omaha.

Jamar Johnson, Basketball
Jamar Johnson was the Huskers’ floor general for three seasons and finished his career in grand style by helping Nebraska to the Big Eight Conference Tournament title as a senior in 1994. Johnson was a second-team all-conference selection as a sophomore, and went on to score nearly 1,000 career points. He still ranks in the NU career record book for assists, three-pointers and free throw percentage. Johnson graduated in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in human resources and family science.

Nancy Metcalf, Volleyball
Metcalf was one of the nation’s top student-athletes at Nebraska from 1997 to 2001. She was a three-time first-team All-American and two-time Big 12 Player of the Year who led the Husker volleyball team to three conference titles during her career. The Hull, Iowa, native was a three-time academic All-American and is Nebraska’s most recent recipient of the NCAA Top Eight Award, receiving the prestigious honor in 2002. A member of the U.S. National Volleyball Team, Metcalf returned to Lincoln after competing in the Olympics Games in Athens, Greece, last month. Metcalf graduated in 2001 with a degree in advertising.

Steve Warren, Football
A four-time letterman, Warren was a member of the 1997 national champion Nebraska football team. He earned All-America and All-Big 12 honors at defensive tackle while helping to lead the 1999 squad to a 12-1 record and No. 2 finish in the national rankings. Warren was selected in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, playing with the team through 2002. Warren finished his degree in 2004, earning a bachelor of arts in sociology.

Shelley-Ann Brown, Track & Field
This Pickering, Ontario, native earned All-America honors during her junior year with a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Indoors, Brown won a Big 12 Conference title the same year with a school-record performance in the 60-meter hurdles, a mark that still stands. Brown graduated in 2004 with a bachelor of science degree in English.