Memphis M Club to Add Four New Inductees in February
Jan 20, 2016 | General, M Club, Memphis Athletics Fund
Tigers to add four new honorees and honor four special award winners.
MEMPHIS – The University of Memphis M Club will add four new Hall of Fame inductees in festivities on Friday, Feb. 5th in the Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway Hall of Fame. Leila Dolfo-Bryant (softball), Roy Henderson (baseball), Gail Lee (women's track & field) and Danny Wimprine (football) make up the class that will be inducted that evening and honored at halftime of the men's basketball game against Cincinnati on Feb. 6th.
The M Club will also honor four special award winners in the evening's festivities. Robert and Susan Wilson will receive the Dr. C.C. Humphreys Golden Tiger Award; Anthony House will receive the Ralph Hatley Silver M Award; former football player Nyrone Hawkins will receive the Billy J. Murphy Award and Robert Winn will receive the Murray Armstrong Award.
The evening's festivities will begin with a cocktail hour at 6:00, with dinner and festivities beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets for this year's M Club Hall of Fame dinner are sold out.
Leila Dolfo-Bryant (Softball, 2006-09)
A four-year letter winner for the Lady Tiger softball team, Leila Dolfo came to the University of Memphis in the fall of 2005 from Chula Vista, Calif. A utility player, Dolfo would appear in all 52 games during her freshman season and earn National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region honors, as well as being named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team and being selected as the Lady Tigers co-offensive Player of the Year. She earned All-Conference USA honors in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and was selected as a NFCA Scholar-Athlete in 2009. A career .300 hitter, Dolfo led the Lady Tigers in hits for three consecutive seasons and in homeruns and runs batted in during her junior and senior seasons. Upon the completion of her career at Memphis, she held eight career Tiger records including, games played (220) and started (220), batting average (.303), at bats (683), runs scored (125), hits (207), doubles (52), home runs (30) and runs batted in (123). Dolfo-Bryant is married to former Memphis Tiger and San Diego Charger football player Charlie Bryant. The couple lives in Clarksville with their children.
Roy Henderson (Baseball, 1977-78)
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, and a graduate of CBHS, Roy Henderson came to the Memphis State Tigers as a junior college transfer from then-Shelby State Community College. He immediately became the Tigers' starter in left field, a position he would hold for two years. During the 1977 season, Henderson batted .291 in helping Bobby Kilpatrick's Tigers to a 34-14 record. The 34 victories in 1977 set a school record for wins in a single season, but that mark would fall one year later. The 1978 campaign opened with Memphis racing to a 25-2 record and a No. 2 ranking by Baseball America. During that streak, Henderson homered to beat Southeast Missouri 6-5 and went 6-for-9 in a two-game sweep of Illinois. Memphis entered the 1978 Metro Conference Tournament with a 35-7 record and Henderson helped the Tigers to their second Metro Conference championship in three years and a trip to the NCAA South Region finals against North Carolina. Henderson batted .386 in 1978 with 64 hits, including six home runs and 40 RBI. Memphis' 40-9 record set a school record for wins in a season and the Tigers finished the 1978 season ranked sixth in the nation. Henderson was named to the 1978 Metro Conference All-Tournament team. His career totals stand at 92 career games played with 94 hits and 68 runs scored. Henderson, who had a .349 career batting average, posted 17 doubles, 12 homeruns and 58 RBI during his tenure as a Tiger.
Gail Lee (Track & Field/Throws, 2005-07)
Gail Lee, a native Fort Worth, Texas, joined the Memphis Track & Field program in 2005 after winning the junior college national championship in the indoor and outdoor shot put in 2004 and 2005 while attending Barton Community College. The two-time JUCO national champion wasted little time in establishing herself as one the nation's outstanding collegiate weight throwers as a member of the Memphis track team. Lee reached both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2006 and 2007 and with her fifth place finish at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships, Lee became just the third Tiger track and field athlete to earn multiple All-America honors. In 2006, she won the NCAA Midwest Regional championship, becoming the first Lady Tiger to ever win an individual title at an NCAA event. One of the best throwers in Memphis Tiger history, Lee qualified or and participated in the NCAA Track & Field Championships in 2007, including the indoor and outdoor shot put titles and the weight throw championship. Her career total of five conference championships stands as the most ever by a single athlete. Following her career at Memphis, Lee became an assistant coach for the Tigers while she continued her practice for the 2008 Olympics. She placed ninth at the Olympic trials.
Danny Wimprine (Football, 2001-04)
Quarterback Danny Wimprine came to the University of Memphis in 2000 and after a red-shirt season began his assault on the Memphis football record book. The New Orleans, La., native appeared in nine games during his freshman season, the final five as a starter, a role that he would never relinquish. He completed 102 of 196 pass attempts for 1,329 yards and 14 touchdowns during his first campaign, all Memphis records for a freshman. His four touchdown passes against Army in 2001 tied the Memphis record at that time. Wimprine started for four
seasons, completing 808 of 1,469 pass attempts for 10,215 yards and 81 touchdowns. He held or was tied for 12 scoring and passing records following his senior season, including the Memphis record for touchdowns responsible for/season with 26, touchdowns responsible for/career with 92, touchdown passes /game with five, pass attempts/career with 1469, pass completions/career with 808; passing yards with 10,215, touchdown passes/career with 81 and most total offensive yards in a career with 10,634. The Wimprine-led Tigers completed
the 2003 regular season with a record of 8-4 and received the team's first post season bowl invitation in 32 years. The Tigers defeated North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl and Wimprine was named the New Orleans Bowl MVP and ESPN Player of the Game after leading the Tigers to a 27-17 victory over NTSU. He became the first Tiger quarterback to ever lead Memphis to back-to-back bowl appearances when Memphis received a bid to the 2004 GMAC Bowl. During his senior season, Wimprine was named the ESPN Player of the Game in the Tigers' win over Louisville, was twice named a Conference USA Player of the Week and was a C-USA All Conference honoree in 2004.
ROBERT & SUSAN WILSON
Dr. C.C. Humphreys Golden Tiger Award
Robert and Susan Wilson are this year's recipients of the Dr. Cecil C. Humphreys Golden Tiger Award. Bob Wilson has spent his entire upbringing in a home of hospitality and business. The son of the late Kemmons Wilson, he obtained his pilot's license at 16, following his father's passion for aviation. He graduated from SMU and went to work for the family business, also enlisting in the Tennessee Air National Guard. During his service, he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, flying C-124s, C-130s and C-141s. He retired after 30 years of service as Operations Group Commander. For the last 46 years, he has worked for the family's privately-owned business, The Kemmons Wilson Companies, with financial interests in over 70 business entities. His primary role has been in the area of construction of hotels, warehouses, and time-shares, and Fixed Base Operations for Aircraft (FBO) to name a few. In 1996, he realized a long-standing business dream, building the all-new FBO at Memphis International Airport. Since opening, Wilson Air Center-MEM has been recognized as the "Number One Rated FBO in the Americas" for nine consecutive years in Aviation International News and a "Top Ten FBO" in Professional Pilot Magazine. Bob's Memphis operation also achieved the "Operational Excellence Award" by AIG Aviation Insurance in 2002, the only FBO ever awarded this designation. Wilson Air also manages FBO's at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, at Houston Hobby and most-recently, at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. The four Wilson Air Centers have been awarded the Top Best US FBO Small Chain for the last eight years by Professional Pilot Magazine. He is married to Susan Wilson, also a graduate of SMU. Susan went on to receive a certificate in Physical Therapy from UT Health Science Center and worked as a physical therapist primarily with children with developmental delays for 25 years. In 1998, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Master of Arts in Religion from Memphis Theological Seminary.
ANTHONY WADE HOUSE
Ralph Hatley Silver M Award
Anthony House, a native of West Memphis, Arkansas, and a graduate of West Memphis High School, attended the University of Memphis in the late 1980s and received his B.S. in Business Administration from Creighton College in 1991. Over the past 20 years, House has been a franchise owner for Chick-fil-A. His franchise, located on Germantown Parkway, has been voted the Best Fast Food Franchise Restaurant in Germantown for the past 10 years. He is a two-time winner of Chick-fil-A's Symbol of Success Program, which is the company's highest honor. In addition, House is a graduate and past Chairman of Leadership Germantown, Main Street Collierville and received the Small Business of the Year Award in 2007 from the Germantown Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves as president of the Memphis Area Restaurant Association. House and his wife, Kimberly, our very own Athletics Special Events Coordinator, continually go out of their way to make sure that the athletic department has food available for special events and programs. The couple, who have a 13 year-old son, Sawyer, are life-long Tiger fans and staunch supporters of University of Memphis athletics.
NYRONE HAWKINS
Billy J. Murphy Award
A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Nyrone Hawkins came to the University of Memphis on a football scholarship in 1987 and earned his degree in Communications. He left Memphis for a short period of time to assist his mother in the management of her restaurant but returned in 1997 to work for Youth Villages, thus beginning his career mentoring youth in Memphis and the Mid-South. Hawkins later moved to the Neighborhood School in the Binghampton Community as the after-school program director and in less than a year was named the Executive Director of The Neighborhood School. His career serving the youth of Memphis increased as Hawkins joined the Church Health Center at Peara Preschool in North Memphis and was tasked with serving the financially-challenged community. In 2011, Hawkins was named the Executive Director of The First Tee program in Memphis and has increased the ranks from 69 youth golfers in 2011 to a current roster of more than 375. The program finished 2015 with the second-highest rating for a chapter in the national system. Since 2011, 100 percent of the local youth involved with First Tee have graduated from high school, with more than 85 percent going on to post-secondary education. Hawkins is a past president of the M Club Board of Directors, is the Leadership Memphis Board Program Chairman, and serves as a deacon and ministerial staff member at First Baptist Church Broad Avenue.
ROBERT F. WINN
Murray Armstrong Award
Bob Winn, a native of Roanoke, Virginia, is currently in his 43rd year with the University of Memphis athletic department. For 17 years, Winn served as Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations and in May of 2004 was elevated to Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs. The former chairman of the Conference USA Sports Information Directors Association, Winn is a 1974 graduate of the University of Memphis, holding a B.A. degree in Journalism. In October of 2007, the U of M Journalism Alumni Chapter presented him with the Herbert L. Williams Outstanding Career Accomplishment Award. During his tenure with the Tigers, Winn promoted 33 football All-Americans, 12 basketball All-Americans, five baseball All-Americans and three track All-Americans. In addition, Winn served as host for four NCAA Regionals, six NIT Tournaments, five Metro Conference Tournaments and two Conference USA events. He also served as the official scorer for the NCAA's East Regional Women's Golf Tournament in Memphis. In the spring of 2003, Winn was named the interim head men's golf coach at Memphis after the sudden passing of the Tigers' golf coach. Winn was inducted into the All-American Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988, receiving the Scoop Hudgins Award for media relations. In addition to his duties with the Tigers, he has served as the media coordinator for the PGA TOUR's FedEx St. Jude Classic for 43 years and as the director of press box operations for the Autozone Liberty Bowl for 35 years. Winn and his wife, Susan, have a daughter Casey, who lives with her family in Columbus, Ohio, and have two grandchildren, Kyle and Kinley.
The M Club will also honor four special award winners in the evening's festivities. Robert and Susan Wilson will receive the Dr. C.C. Humphreys Golden Tiger Award; Anthony House will receive the Ralph Hatley Silver M Award; former football player Nyrone Hawkins will receive the Billy J. Murphy Award and Robert Winn will receive the Murray Armstrong Award.
The evening's festivities will begin with a cocktail hour at 6:00, with dinner and festivities beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets for this year's M Club Hall of Fame dinner are sold out.
Leila Dolfo-Bryant (Softball, 2006-09)
A four-year letter winner for the Lady Tiger softball team, Leila Dolfo came to the University of Memphis in the fall of 2005 from Chula Vista, Calif. A utility player, Dolfo would appear in all 52 games during her freshman season and earn National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region honors, as well as being named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team and being selected as the Lady Tigers co-offensive Player of the Year. She earned All-Conference USA honors in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and was selected as a NFCA Scholar-Athlete in 2009. A career .300 hitter, Dolfo led the Lady Tigers in hits for three consecutive seasons and in homeruns and runs batted in during her junior and senior seasons. Upon the completion of her career at Memphis, she held eight career Tiger records including, games played (220) and started (220), batting average (.303), at bats (683), runs scored (125), hits (207), doubles (52), home runs (30) and runs batted in (123). Dolfo-Bryant is married to former Memphis Tiger and San Diego Charger football player Charlie Bryant. The couple lives in Clarksville with their children.
Roy Henderson (Baseball, 1977-78)
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, and a graduate of CBHS, Roy Henderson came to the Memphis State Tigers as a junior college transfer from then-Shelby State Community College. He immediately became the Tigers' starter in left field, a position he would hold for two years. During the 1977 season, Henderson batted .291 in helping Bobby Kilpatrick's Tigers to a 34-14 record. The 34 victories in 1977 set a school record for wins in a single season, but that mark would fall one year later. The 1978 campaign opened with Memphis racing to a 25-2 record and a No. 2 ranking by Baseball America. During that streak, Henderson homered to beat Southeast Missouri 6-5 and went 6-for-9 in a two-game sweep of Illinois. Memphis entered the 1978 Metro Conference Tournament with a 35-7 record and Henderson helped the Tigers to their second Metro Conference championship in three years and a trip to the NCAA South Region finals against North Carolina. Henderson batted .386 in 1978 with 64 hits, including six home runs and 40 RBI. Memphis' 40-9 record set a school record for wins in a season and the Tigers finished the 1978 season ranked sixth in the nation. Henderson was named to the 1978 Metro Conference All-Tournament team. His career totals stand at 92 career games played with 94 hits and 68 runs scored. Henderson, who had a .349 career batting average, posted 17 doubles, 12 homeruns and 58 RBI during his tenure as a Tiger.
Gail Lee (Track & Field/Throws, 2005-07)
Gail Lee, a native Fort Worth, Texas, joined the Memphis Track & Field program in 2005 after winning the junior college national championship in the indoor and outdoor shot put in 2004 and 2005 while attending Barton Community College. The two-time JUCO national champion wasted little time in establishing herself as one the nation's outstanding collegiate weight throwers as a member of the Memphis track team. Lee reached both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2006 and 2007 and with her fifth place finish at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships, Lee became just the third Tiger track and field athlete to earn multiple All-America honors. In 2006, she won the NCAA Midwest Regional championship, becoming the first Lady Tiger to ever win an individual title at an NCAA event. One of the best throwers in Memphis Tiger history, Lee qualified or and participated in the NCAA Track & Field Championships in 2007, including the indoor and outdoor shot put titles and the weight throw championship. Her career total of five conference championships stands as the most ever by a single athlete. Following her career at Memphis, Lee became an assistant coach for the Tigers while she continued her practice for the 2008 Olympics. She placed ninth at the Olympic trials.
Danny Wimprine (Football, 2001-04)
Quarterback Danny Wimprine came to the University of Memphis in 2000 and after a red-shirt season began his assault on the Memphis football record book. The New Orleans, La., native appeared in nine games during his freshman season, the final five as a starter, a role that he would never relinquish. He completed 102 of 196 pass attempts for 1,329 yards and 14 touchdowns during his first campaign, all Memphis records for a freshman. His four touchdown passes against Army in 2001 tied the Memphis record at that time. Wimprine started for four
seasons, completing 808 of 1,469 pass attempts for 10,215 yards and 81 touchdowns. He held or was tied for 12 scoring and passing records following his senior season, including the Memphis record for touchdowns responsible for/season with 26, touchdowns responsible for/career with 92, touchdown passes /game with five, pass attempts/career with 1469, pass completions/career with 808; passing yards with 10,215, touchdown passes/career with 81 and most total offensive yards in a career with 10,634. The Wimprine-led Tigers completed
the 2003 regular season with a record of 8-4 and received the team's first post season bowl invitation in 32 years. The Tigers defeated North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl and Wimprine was named the New Orleans Bowl MVP and ESPN Player of the Game after leading the Tigers to a 27-17 victory over NTSU. He became the first Tiger quarterback to ever lead Memphis to back-to-back bowl appearances when Memphis received a bid to the 2004 GMAC Bowl. During his senior season, Wimprine was named the ESPN Player of the Game in the Tigers' win over Louisville, was twice named a Conference USA Player of the Week and was a C-USA All Conference honoree in 2004.
ROBERT & SUSAN WILSON
Dr. C.C. Humphreys Golden Tiger Award
Robert and Susan Wilson are this year's recipients of the Dr. Cecil C. Humphreys Golden Tiger Award. Bob Wilson has spent his entire upbringing in a home of hospitality and business. The son of the late Kemmons Wilson, he obtained his pilot's license at 16, following his father's passion for aviation. He graduated from SMU and went to work for the family business, also enlisting in the Tennessee Air National Guard. During his service, he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, flying C-124s, C-130s and C-141s. He retired after 30 years of service as Operations Group Commander. For the last 46 years, he has worked for the family's privately-owned business, The Kemmons Wilson Companies, with financial interests in over 70 business entities. His primary role has been in the area of construction of hotels, warehouses, and time-shares, and Fixed Base Operations for Aircraft (FBO) to name a few. In 1996, he realized a long-standing business dream, building the all-new FBO at Memphis International Airport. Since opening, Wilson Air Center-MEM has been recognized as the "Number One Rated FBO in the Americas" for nine consecutive years in Aviation International News and a "Top Ten FBO" in Professional Pilot Magazine. Bob's Memphis operation also achieved the "Operational Excellence Award" by AIG Aviation Insurance in 2002, the only FBO ever awarded this designation. Wilson Air also manages FBO's at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, at Houston Hobby and most-recently, at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. The four Wilson Air Centers have been awarded the Top Best US FBO Small Chain for the last eight years by Professional Pilot Magazine. He is married to Susan Wilson, also a graduate of SMU. Susan went on to receive a certificate in Physical Therapy from UT Health Science Center and worked as a physical therapist primarily with children with developmental delays for 25 years. In 1998, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Master of Arts in Religion from Memphis Theological Seminary.
ANTHONY WADE HOUSE
Ralph Hatley Silver M Award
Anthony House, a native of West Memphis, Arkansas, and a graduate of West Memphis High School, attended the University of Memphis in the late 1980s and received his B.S. in Business Administration from Creighton College in 1991. Over the past 20 years, House has been a franchise owner for Chick-fil-A. His franchise, located on Germantown Parkway, has been voted the Best Fast Food Franchise Restaurant in Germantown for the past 10 years. He is a two-time winner of Chick-fil-A's Symbol of Success Program, which is the company's highest honor. In addition, House is a graduate and past Chairman of Leadership Germantown, Main Street Collierville and received the Small Business of the Year Award in 2007 from the Germantown Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves as president of the Memphis Area Restaurant Association. House and his wife, Kimberly, our very own Athletics Special Events Coordinator, continually go out of their way to make sure that the athletic department has food available for special events and programs. The couple, who have a 13 year-old son, Sawyer, are life-long Tiger fans and staunch supporters of University of Memphis athletics.
NYRONE HAWKINS
Billy J. Murphy Award
A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Nyrone Hawkins came to the University of Memphis on a football scholarship in 1987 and earned his degree in Communications. He left Memphis for a short period of time to assist his mother in the management of her restaurant but returned in 1997 to work for Youth Villages, thus beginning his career mentoring youth in Memphis and the Mid-South. Hawkins later moved to the Neighborhood School in the Binghampton Community as the after-school program director and in less than a year was named the Executive Director of The Neighborhood School. His career serving the youth of Memphis increased as Hawkins joined the Church Health Center at Peara Preschool in North Memphis and was tasked with serving the financially-challenged community. In 2011, Hawkins was named the Executive Director of The First Tee program in Memphis and has increased the ranks from 69 youth golfers in 2011 to a current roster of more than 375. The program finished 2015 with the second-highest rating for a chapter in the national system. Since 2011, 100 percent of the local youth involved with First Tee have graduated from high school, with more than 85 percent going on to post-secondary education. Hawkins is a past president of the M Club Board of Directors, is the Leadership Memphis Board Program Chairman, and serves as a deacon and ministerial staff member at First Baptist Church Broad Avenue.
ROBERT F. WINN
Murray Armstrong Award
Bob Winn, a native of Roanoke, Virginia, is currently in his 43rd year with the University of Memphis athletic department. For 17 years, Winn served as Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations and in May of 2004 was elevated to Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs. The former chairman of the Conference USA Sports Information Directors Association, Winn is a 1974 graduate of the University of Memphis, holding a B.A. degree in Journalism. In October of 2007, the U of M Journalism Alumni Chapter presented him with the Herbert L. Williams Outstanding Career Accomplishment Award. During his tenure with the Tigers, Winn promoted 33 football All-Americans, 12 basketball All-Americans, five baseball All-Americans and three track All-Americans. In addition, Winn served as host for four NCAA Regionals, six NIT Tournaments, five Metro Conference Tournaments and two Conference USA events. He also served as the official scorer for the NCAA's East Regional Women's Golf Tournament in Memphis. In the spring of 2003, Winn was named the interim head men's golf coach at Memphis after the sudden passing of the Tigers' golf coach. Winn was inducted into the All-American Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988, receiving the Scoop Hudgins Award for media relations. In addition to his duties with the Tigers, he has served as the media coordinator for the PGA TOUR's FedEx St. Jude Classic for 43 years and as the director of press box operations for the Autozone Liberty Bowl for 35 years. Winn and his wife, Susan, have a daughter Casey, who lives with her family in Columbus, Ohio, and have two grandchildren, Kyle and Kinley.
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