By Amanda Mlekush
The Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education has established a unique way to honor some of its outstanding faculty and staff who have made extraordinary contributions toward the profession with the establishment of the App State RMPE Hall of Fame.
An inaugural class of four people were inducted into the Hall of Fame at the departmental potluck held in mid-December, with plans for a larger, public dedication ceremony planned for the spring at Holmes Convocation Center.
Four individuals were inducted into the Hall of Fame, with one inductee present at the event and another representative there.
James “Jim” Albert Cottrell –
As the founder of the French-Swiss Ski College and its leader for more than 50 years, Cottrell led the effort to develop courses for college students across the Southeast. The skiing and snowboarding classes Jim started continue at App State as some of the most popular physical education and recreation programs the department offers today. Cottrell is a two-time App State alumnus and longtime faculty member.
Dr. Lawrence “Larry” Edward Horine (1931-2022) –
As a faculty member and former RMPE department chair, Horine helped shape the foundation for the Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education, and expanded the health sciences focus for Appalachian State by founding the first community-based nursing education and cardiac rehabilitation programs in the High Country. (Horine's daughter, Mary Sheryl Horine (right), attended the event to represent her father and is pictured with Dr. Ben Sibley, department chair).
Edward “Ed” Thomas Turner (1941-2022) –
With numerous awards for his outstanding teaching career including the first outstanding teaching award given at App State, Turner was proud of his work in the classroom to encourage future recreation and physical education leaders, many of whom earned their doctorate degrees with his encouragement. Turner also served as a national facility consultant for sports facilities including RMPE’s current home, Holmes Convocation Center which was built in 2001.
Jan Carol Watson –
Four years before the passage of Title IX, Jan advanced women’s collegiate sports as the founding coach for the Appalachian women’s field hockey team, which was the first women’s collegiate sport at the university when it was established in 1968. Watson went on to serve in national sporting leadership positions including the US Field Hockey Association while serving as a faculty member and coach at App State. (Watson is pictured (right) holding her Hall of Fame plaque with Department Chair Dr. Ben Sibley at the Hall of Fame event.)
“We are thrilled to be able to recognize the contributions of these individuals to the RMPE Department and university community,” said Dr. Ben Sibley, department chair and professor. “Their accomplishments have had a lasting impact on our students and have advanced the professions of recreation management, physical education and coaching. We look forward to building on this and continuing to recognize more outstanding departmental faculty and staff in the future!”
A special area in Holmes Convocation Center will be utilized to display the Hall of Fame and will include a plaque for each inductee with information about their contributions and a photo.