Hubert 'Geese' Ausbie - Lived in Little Rock
Went to Philander Smith College in Little
Rock.
Served as the "Clown Prince" for the Globetrotters from
1961 to 1985.
Jack Fleck - Magazine
The improbable Jack Fleck beat Ben Hogan
in a playoff to win the 1955 U.S. Open while using Ben Hogan clubs.
It has been called "the most dramatic and mysterious upset
in golf history".
His next victory was in the 1960 Phoenix Open and the only one
after that was the 1961 Bakersfield Open. Jack's last full season
on the tour was 1963.
Fleck always had a temper and it lashed out from time to time
Tommy Freeman - Hot Springs
Went 155-18-12 in 185 pro fights and won the world welterweight title in 1930.
Title Bout log:
Sep. 5, 1930- Tommy Freeman
won in 15 rounds over Young Jack Thompson - Cleveland, Ohio
Jan. 9, 1931- Tommy Freeman won in 10 rounds over
Pete August - Hot Springs, Arkansas
Jan. 26, 1931- Tommy Freeman won in 10 rounds over Eddie
Murdoch - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Feb. 5, 1931- Tommy Freeman won by KO in 5 rounds
over Duke Trammel - Memphis, Tennessee
Feb. 9, 1931- Tommy Freeman won by KO in 5 rounds
over Al 'Kid' Kober - New Orleans, Louisiana
Mar. 1, 1931- Tommy Freeman won in 10 rounds over Alfredo
Ganoa - Mexico City, Mexico
Apr. 14, 1931- Young Jack Thompson won by KO in 12
rounds over Tommy Freeman - Cleveland, Ohio
E.J. 'Dutch' Harrison - Little Rock
Feared competitor on the PGA Tour from the 1930's to the 1950's. Harrison first rose to prominence by reaching the semi-finals of the 1939 PGA Championship. He won fifteen events between 1937 and 1958, including the 1949 Canadian Open, the 1953 Western Open, and the 1954 Crosby. Harrison was a regular in the Ryder Cup line-up after the Second World War, and finished third in the U.S. Open as late as 1960. Harrison went on to even greater success as a senior, winning the U.S. National Senior Open four times in a row between 1962 and 1965, as well as managing four top-five finishes in the PGA Seniors Championship.
Al Joyner - Arkansas State University
A star athlete at Lincoln High School in
East St. Louis, Illinois, Alfredrick "Al" Joyner went
on to attend Arkansas State University. He competed with their
track and field team throughout his college career, and by the
time he graduated Al was a three-time NCAA All-American indoor
champion, a three-time NCAA All-American outdoor champion, a four-time
Southland Conference champ and had placed 8th in the triple jump
at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
In 1984, Al traveled to Los Angeles for the Summer Games to compete
with the U.S. Olympic track and field team. With a leap of 56'-7.5",
he became the first American in 80 years to win a gold medal in
the triple jump. Al was also honored with the Jim Thorpe Award,
which is given every four years to the best American competitor
in an Olympic Field Event. That same year, Al cheered his sister
Jackie Joyner Kersee as she competed in the heptathlon. When she
captured a silver in the event, they became the first sibling
teammates in U.S. history to medal during the same Olympics.
On October 10, 1987 Al married track legend Florence Griffith,
later known as Flo Jo. The two met in 1980 at the Olympic trials
registration and felt an instant connection. Al later assisted
his brother-in-law, Bob Kersee, in coaching Florence to gold medals
in the 100, 200 and 400-meter relay.
For demonstrating excellence on and off the track, Al has been
inducted into the Arkansas State University Track and Field Hall
of Fame (1993), the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame (1997)
and the Illinois Track and Field Hall of Fame (1999).
Charles 'Sonny' Liston - Forrest City
A multi-talented fighter, it could be said
that Sonny Liston's best weapon was intimidation. He had one of
the best jab's in boxing and knockout power in each hand, but
Liston's baleful scowl often had opponents defeated before the
first bell.
Born one of 25 brothers and sisters, Liston led a troubled life
and learned boxing while serving time in prison for armed robbery.
He turned pro in 1953 and rapidly ascended the heavyweight ranks,
leaving a stream of knockout victims in his wake.
Liston's incredibly strong jab, great left hook, strong right,
and good boxing skills helped him become heavyweight champion
of the world on September 25, 1962 when he kayoed Floyd Patterson
in one round. He granted Patterson a rematch 10 months later but
the result was the same: Liston by knockout in the first round.
Born: May
8, 1932, St. Francis County, AR
Died: December 30, 1970
Total Bouts: 54
Won: 50
Lost: 4
KOs: 39
International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction: 1991
Paul 'Little Poison' Runyan - Hot Springs
A member of the PGA Hall of Fame thanks
to his 28 PGA Tour victories, including the 1934 and 1938 PGA
Championships. He also was a member of three Ryder Cup teams.
Runyan turned pro in 1924 and in 1927, at age 18, became head
pro at Concordia Country Club in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Runyan's first professional victory came in his home state in
1926 when he captured the Arkansas Open. He later won the PGA
money title in 1933 and '34, as well as two PGA Seniors' Championships.
John 'Big John' Tate - West Memphis / Marion City
WBA Heavyweight Champion (34-3 in his career).
Died in a car accident on April 9, 1998 at the age of 43.
Reece 'Goose' Tatum - El Dorado
Sixty years after his first season, the
Harlem Globetrotters retired jersey number 50, worn by Reece "Goose"
Tatum, on Feb. 8, 2002 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Tatum played with the Globetrotters during the 1941 and '42 season
until he was drafted into the Air Force during World War II. After
he completed his tour, Tatum came back to play with the team for
a total of 12 seasons (1946-1956). He was the "Clown Prince"
of the Globetrotters and was considered by many to be the template
for future comics and the best showmen in team history.
Before he became a Globetrotter, Tatum started his career in the
1940's as a baseball player for the Birmingham Black Barons and
the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro National League.
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Page last updated: 3/28/04