Army West Point Athletics
Seven To Join Army Sports Hall of Fame
May 24, 2007 | General
WEST POINT, N.Y. An individual national champion, a three-sport All-American, a former athletic director, a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a record-setting pitcher, two inductees of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame and a tennis and squash standout highlight the Army Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2007.
Tom Cafaro (lacrosse), Alma Cobb (track and field and basketball), Barry DeBolt (baseball), Arnold Galiffa (football, baseball and basketball), Charles Oliver (tennis and squash), Carl Ullrich (former athletic director) and “Lighthorse” Harry Wilson (football, lacrosse and basketball) comprise the fourth class of the Army’s Sports Hall of Fame, it was announced on Thursday.
The honorees, including the first administrator to be elected, cover seven sports and will bring the total number of Hall of Famers to 48.
“The fourth class into our Hall of Fame is truly representative of the scope of Army athletics,” said Kevin Anderson, Army’s director of athletics. “The selection committee did a tremendous job of bringing in a diverse class and also recognizing the contributions of an administrator. The competitiveness Army athletics has enjoyed for many, many years is reflected in this class and in the Army Sports Hall of Fame.”
The Class of 2007 will be honored at a special “black tie” induction banquet to be held at West Point on September 28. The class will also be recognized during a halftime ceremony the next day when Army hosts Temple at historic Michie Stadium.
The Army Sports Hall of Fame is a subset of the Kenna Hall of Army Sports, a comprehensive museum displaying Army’s rich and proud intercollegiate athletic program. It is located on the third floor of the Kimsey Athletic Center, Army’s massive football training facility that opened four years ago.
The announcement of the Army Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2007 marks the end of a lengthy process that began in the spring. A 10-member selection committee, representing athletic administrators, academic administrators, former West Point athletes, graduates and representatives from the Association of Graduates began the process of developing a workable list from the thousands of athletes, coaches and administrators that have represented the Academy on the “fields of friendly strife.” Only athletes that graduated from the Academy and those five years removed from their playing and coaching days are eligible.
In addition, the committee followed a charter that was established to support the Army Sports Hall of Fame that profiled a myriad of strict eligibility requirements for former cadet-athletes, coaches and administrators to be eligible. “Primary” consideration for election is granted to accomplishments during an individual’s tenure as an athlete, coach or administrator while at West Point. Honors attained that pre- or post-date Academy careers are given “secondary” consideration.
Once the selection committee finalized its recommended list, the names were forward to USMA’s Athletic Committee for
Review and ratification before being passed on to Superintendent Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck for final approval.
“The work that the selection committee does is daunting and those individuals that comprise that group should be commended for ensuring that the Academy’s proud athletic heritage is represented,” said Anderson. “The Athletic Committee and Lt. Gen. Hagenbeck were fundamental in this process as well.”
In addition to the seven Hall of Fame members to be honored in September, Anderson will also present the Office of Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (ODIA) Distinguished Service Award to Herb Lichtenberg, Lou Gross and, posthumously, to Lew Zickel.
Lichtenberg, Gross and Zickel helped reshape Army’s athletic facilities. The three friends dramatically altered the landscape at West Point with generous donations that directly led to state-of-the-art venues. They were the first to earmark contributions for upgrades to facilities and were the catalysts for making West Point’s amenities among the nation’s best.
Lichtenberg, a 1955 graduate of the Academy and his brother Alan (USMA ’51) as well as the Class of 1955, were instrumental in the construction of the Lichtenberg Tennis Center, a seven-court arena that opened in 1999 and features a sophisticated synthetic indoor hardcourt surface, state-of-the-art lighting, locker room facilities, coaches’ offices, meeting rooms and an elevated seating area for fans that provides a great view to all seven courts. The center is among the finest in the country and serves as a compliment to the outdoor Malek Courts, a nine-court facility.
Lichtenberg and Gross, a 1954 USMA graduate, were also active in the building of the Gross Center, the home of Army’s nationally ranked men’s gymnastics team. Gross, a valuable friend of Army athletics, is the namesake for the facility which also houses basketball courts.
Zickel, who died on May 13, 2007, is a 1949 graduate of the Academy. He participated in gymnastics as a plebe and went on to a decorated military career. He served with the 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Calvary Division in Korea and was awarded the Bronze Star Media with V for valor, two Air Medals and the Combat Infantry Badge. He commanded an infantry company and was later on the staff of First Army. He resigned from the Army as a first lieutenant in 1953 but stayed in the Army Reserve where he retired as a Colonel, USAR and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.
The Distinguished Service Award is presented to an individual for significant contributions to Amy’s intercollegiate athletic program. Recipients are determined by a vote of the Army Sports Hall of Fame selection committee, whose members also serve as the nominating committee. Morris Herbert, a 1950 West Point graduate and long-time historian with the Academy’s Association of Graduates who played a vital role in the creation and completion of both the Army Sports Hall of Fame and the Kenna Hall of Army Sports, was the first to be honored with the Distinguished Service Award last fall.
The Army Sports Hall of Fame selection committee is not required to bestow the award annually, rather only when a suitable candidate emerges. Upon identifying a potential recipient by majority approval, the selection committee will forward its candidate to the Director of Athletics for approval.
