Friday, June 09, 2006

Livingstone Will Host its Fifth Annual Celebrity Sports Scholarship Weekend: Blue Bears Induct nine into the Hall of Fame

Salisbury, N.C. – The Livingstone College Athletic Department will induct nine former athletes into its fifth annual athletic hall of fame June 16-17. The event, “Celebrity Sports Scholarship Weekend” will consist of a black-tie induction ceremony on Friday night; which will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the University Hilton in Charlotte, NC at 8:00 p.m. A celebrity golf tournament will be held Saturday morning with a 9:00 am shotgun start at the Rocky River Golf Course in Concord, NC.

Inductees will consists of former women’s basketball standout Dr. Lavilla Mushatt Watson ‘56 of Nassau County, NY, posthumously Reverend John Robert Edward Kinard ’60 of Washington, DC; who was a former football standout, former basketball star Robert N. Wiley ’63 of Spencer, NC, former football standout Produs Scott Perkins ’70 of Lexington, NC; former football player and long-time athletic supporter Dorsey T. Montgomery Sr. ’70 of Goldsboro, NC, former Miss Livingstone and Track & Field standout Shannon Chinnis Cherry ’93 of Charleston, SC, also former Miss Livingstone and Track & Field Standout Kellee Dillard Watkins ’95 of Durham, NC, former football standout Troy Veale ’95 of Bertie County, NC, and Administrator/former track & field standout Clifton Huff ’85 of Wilmington, NC.

Dr. Lavilla Mushatt Watson ‘56, Letohatchee, AL, participated in basketball, volleyball, tennis and track & field. From 1954-1956, she served as co-captain of the women’s varsity basketball team. She was the leading scorer and MVP. In 1954, the Lady Blue Bears went undefeated in conference play with a 12-0 record and gained national recognition. Watson received a bachelor’s degree in Social Work in 1956 and a Master’s in Social Work and a Doctorate in Social Welfare. Dr. Watson has numerous professional accomplishments recognized by Nassau County, NY.

Reverend John Robert Edward Kinard ‘60, Washington, DC, is also a 1963 graduate of Hood Theological Seminary. Kinard excelled in track & field, wrestling, and football as a student-athlete. He earned All-EIAC as an offensive guard on the football team. After graduation, he became an assistant coach for the Blue Bears. In 1967, he was invited to become the Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Anacostia Neighborhood Museum in Washington, DC. His experiences afforded him national and international acclaim. His lectures took him to Zambia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Botswana, Liberia, South Africa, Kenya, Swaziland, Mozambique, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Reverend Kinard served for two years as assistant pastor of Galbraith AME Zion Church and later became the assistant pastor of John Wesley AME Zion Church where he remained for 22 years.

Robert Wiley ’63, Spencer, NC, began his basketball career in 1956-57 at Dunbar High School in East Spencer. During high school, he led Dunbar to the 1959 North Carolina High School Class AA Championships with a 26-0 record. At Livingstone College as a freshman, he was named to the All-Conference Team and All-Tournament Team. Throughout his collegiate career, Wiley averaged 20 points and five rebounds per game. During his junior season, he led the Blue Bears to the conference tournament championship while averaging 35 points per game in the three games played. He was named the Tournament’s MVP. Wiley earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honors in Biology/Pre-Med. After graduation, He worked for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System for nine years. After a career in the school system, he worked for IBM for 30 years.

Produs Scott Perkins ’70, Lexington, NC, was a member of the nationally recognized 1969 football team. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education. Perkins became one of the Blue Bears first players to be drafted into the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 16^th round. After the exhibition season with the 49ers, Perkins played a year with the Washington Redskins Farm Team in the East Coast Football League. In 1975, Produs Perkins became a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). After 30 years of service, he retired from the FBI in 2005. He currently resides in Charlotte, NC and works part-time for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System.

Dorsey Montgomery Sr. ’75, Goldsboro, NC, was a two-year letterman in football until an injury ended his playing career. Due to the injury, he became a student assistant under Baxter Holman and Fletcher Jones. Montgomery graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. He is a founding member and past President of the Livingstone Blue Bears Club. He now serves as the Vice President and received the Life Membership Award in November of 2005. Dorsey is also a life Member of the Livingstone National Alumni Association. His professional achievements include his current position as Secretary/Treasure of the International Longshoremen’s Association where he is serving his third three-year term. Montgomery is the 2001 recipient of the Fletcher Jones Distinguished Service Award for outstanding service to Livingstone’s Athletics.

Clifton Huff ’85, Wilmington, NC, has been a student-athlete, coach, and is currently an administrator for Livingstone. In the sport of Track & Field, he was noted as a three-time MVP, while becoming a conference and national standout. Huff still holds several school records including the decathlon. He met the 1984 USA Olympic Trial standards as a decathlete. In 1991, he took over the men’s and women’s track & field program and excelled it to the top. Huff produced the 2004 NCAA Men’s 200-meter National Champion and 400-meter runner-up. In addition, he produced 39 NCAA All-Americans, 103 All-CIAA performers and 28 CIAA Individual Champions. His teams have been CIAA runner-ups 19 times while five of his teams finished among the top 20 in the NCAA National Championships. Four times in Huff’s Career, he was named CIAA Track Coach of the Year. Clifton Huff is now in his tenth year as Director of Athletics. He was named the CIAA Athletic Director of the Year, and received the Jeanette Lee Athletic Achievement Award in 1997 and ’98. Also in 1998, Clifton received the Commissioner’s Special Recognition Award.

Shannon Chinnis Cherry ’93, Charleston, SC, received many athletic honors as a track & field student-athlete. She was named MVP four times and holds the Lady Blue Bears 800-meter and 1500-meter record. Shannon also earned numerous academic awards and was a four-year recipient of the UNCF/Citicorp Academic Scholarship. She served as Miss Livingstone in 1992-93. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with honors. She recently received her Master’s Degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Human Resources at American Intercontinental University in Atlanta, GA.

Kellee Dillard Watkins ’95, Durham, NC, was a three sport student-athlete at Livingstone – cross country, basketball, and track & field. Watkins currently holds the women’s triple jump record for Livingstone at 38-1. She has received many team awards for all three sports. Academically, she has received the CIAA Highest Academic Average and Service Award, the Livingstone Athletic Highest Academic Average Award, the Lamp of Knowledge Award (Valedictorian), and the Baxter Holman Award (Most Athletic Female). Mrs. Watkins was the Student Teacher of the Year and Miss Livingstone College during her senior year. In 1995, she joined the Livingstone coaching staff as the assistant coach for women’s basketball and track & field. She was also the Senior Women’s Administrator. She coach LC’s first NCAA qualifier in the triple jump. While coaching at LC, Kellee taught third graders and completed her Master’s Degree at UNC-Charlotte. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2001-02 at Overton Elementary School and was the runner-up Teacher of the Year for Rowan County. Mrs. Watkins is currently employed by Livingstone in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Troy Veale ’95, Bertie County, NC, was a defensive great on the gridiron. Veale was a repetitive leader in tackles for the Blue Bears football team. He has recorded more than 20 tackles in one game. In 1994, Veale was selected All-CIAA First Team, Defensive Player of the Year Runner-up and Black College All-American Second Team. Veale led the Division II in tackles with 138 tackles (a 13.8 average). He was a recipient of the Baxter Holman Award and finished with nearly 300 total tackles. Veale is one of three founders of One Love Development Services, Incorporated. One Love services residents in Burke, Forsyth, Gaston, McDowell, Cleveland, Lincoln, and many other counties.

The induction ceremony, at University Hilton (Harris Blvd. – Charlotte, NC), is a black tie affair and is open to the public at $100 per plate. The Celebrity Golf Tournament, at Rocky River Golf Course – Concord, NC, is also open to the public at $85 per individual golfer or $325 per foursome. All Profits will benefit the Livingstone College Athletic Scholarship Foundation.

For more information, contact the athletic department at (704) 216-6012, or the alumni affairs office at (704) 216-6009.