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Vernon Conrad ’28

Football, track
Inducted in 1976
by in 1920 - 1929, All Sports, Football, Track, U - Z

The late Vernon Conrad, known to his friends as “Vern,” graduated from Bluffton in 1928 with a major in economics. He was a four-year letterman in football and track.v_conrad

Speaking about Conrad’s football accomplishments, Coach A.C. Burcky said “his reverse from the single-wing flank spot soon established him as the man to watch. Toledo and Bowling Green were in the league when Conrad played,v_conrad_tracktrophy and the games were no particular powder puff deals. Perhaps that is why he could run so fast. He had to run fast or get crushed, as he weighed about 160 pounds. Whatever anyone could do, Conrad could do better.”

In track, Conrad ran the 100- and 220-yard dashes and was the mile relay anchor man. “To balance out his day, he would high jump and broad jump,” Burcky added. “If this was not enough for one day, he would then help in other events if we were short an entry or if he could pick up a point.”

Walter Diehl ’37

Football, basketball, baseball, track
Inducted in 1976
by in 1930 - 1939, A - E, All Sports, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Track, U - Z

The late Walter Diehl was a 1937 graduate with a major in social science. Diehl played football, basketball, track and baseball. He earned all-conference and honorable mention all-state honors in football, anw_diehld was a member of conference championship baseball teams in 1936 and 1937.

Off the playing fields, he was Student Senate president, May Day chair and voted as Most Popular Man.

Diehl worked for the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services for 35 years and also performed community service in Youngstown.

 

Wilbur Berkey ’33

Baseball, basketball
Inducted in 1975
by in 1930 - 1939, All Sports, Baseball, Basketball, U - Z

The late Wilbur Berkey is honored for his accomplishments in baseball and basketball at Bluffton. However, he had many contributions to the community of Smithville, Ohio. He was a social studies teacher from 1935 to 1963 and a basketball coach from 1937 to 1961. He was a high school principal from 1941 to 1951 and also served Smithville High School as an athletic director.

Berkey had many contributions to Smithville but his contributions to Bluffton have also been appreciated. For many years he provided through his trophy business the fourth year Beaver trophy award. He has influenced untold numbers of prospective students to attend Bluffton. 

Berkey was recognized by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association in 1975 for his contributions to Ohio sports. Among his innovations was the County All Star game from which the proceeds were given to a Wayne County charity. In 1945 he started one of the first basketball coaching schools now famously known as the Northern Ohio Basketball Coaching School.

Berkey had been president of the Wayne County Education Association and appointed by the NEA to a National conference on fitness for secondary schools.

Berkey died in 1997.

William Burcky ’53

Basketball, tennis, track
Inducted in 1986
by in 1950 - 1959, A - E, All Sports, Basketball, Tennis, Track, U - Z

William Burcky was a versatile athlete in both high school and college. At Bluffton High School, he played basketball, baseball and tennis. As a collegiate athlete, he earned four letters in tennis, three in basketball and onw_burckye in track. Burcky’s campus involvement extended beyond the classroom and athletics to being president of both his senior class and the Varsity B Club.

After his graduation with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Burcky received his master’s degree in counseling from Bradley University and his doctorate in higher education and counseling from St. Louis University.

Burcky began his career in education as a teacher, coach and counselor on the secondary level in 1957. While working on hw_burcky_trophyis doctorate at St. Louis, he was an instructor in counselor education and director of housing in student personnel. In 1971 he became a professor at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in counselor education and later chaired the department.

Burcky has held several positions in church and civic groups, including elder, deacon and trustee in his church and chair of the Mayor’s Senior Citizens Advisory Committee. At SIU-Edwardsville, he was a member of the President’s Task Force on Athletw_burcky_gloveics.

“Serving as a student leader provided me with many opportunities to experience the responsibilities which go along with those positions,” Burcky said. “Also, it has been a challenge to emulate and to add to my teaching that extra spark of dedication which the faculty at Bluffton possessed when I was a student. I can give credit to Mom, Dad, Jean Ann and the wonderful family life we shared together for establishing the characteristics I brought with me to college. Through participation in athletics, those characteristics were enhanced and further refined.”

William Ramseyer ’58

Football, track
Inducted in 1988
by in 1950 - 1959, All Sports, Football, P - T, Track, U - Z

Bill Ramseyer participated in football and track at Bluffton, where he was a part of two league-champion teams and earned six letters. He was a member of the football, basketball, baseball and track teams at Bluffton High School, where he earned nine letters in all.w_ramseyer

A psychology major, Ramseyer received his master’s degree in physical education from Bowling Green State University and his doctorate from the University of Missouri. Ramseyer went on to be a professor of health, physical education and recreation at Wilmington College, as well as athletics director and head football coach. As football coach at Wilmington, he compiled an impressive 98-46-3 record in 16 consecutive winning seasons.

He has more than 30 years of coaching experience, including two years at Bluffton as head baseball and wrestling coach and defensive coordinator for the 1967 Mid-Ohio League championship football team. He also served four years as head scout and an assistant w_ramseyer_dollfootball coach at the University of Missouri.

Ramseyer has been a member of the National Education Association, the Ohio and American associations for HPER, and the American and NAIA Football Coaches associations. He also served four years on the NAIA Academic All-American Selection Committee.

He has been a Sunday school teacher and youth group adviser, and has served as chair of community March of Dimes, heart and cancer fund drives. He has also been a member of the Wilmington Friends Church Board of Trustees and the church choir.

ed as chairman for the Community March of Dimes, heart and cancer fund drives. He has been on the Board of Trustees of the Wilmington Friends Church and also sings in the choir.

William Williams ’30

Football, basketball, baseball
Inducted in 1976
by in 1930 - 1939, All Sports, Baseball, Basketball, Football, U - Z

William Williams was thew_williams first athlete to be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame posthumously. He earned 11 Bluffton letters—four each in baseball and basketball and three in football. He was all-conference in basketball for three years and was a basketball and baseball team captain.

Probably the greatest tribute to Williams was the fact that former Coach A.C. Burcky placed him as one of the top athletes on his listw_williams_action of deceased men who deserved recognition in the hall of fame.

Williams spent his post-Bluffton career in education as a teacher, coach, principal, counselor, curriculum director, athletics director and associate professor.

 

Willis Taylor ’58

Football, track
Inducted in 1979
by in 1950 - 1959, All Sports, Football, P - T, Track, U - Z

Willis “Willie” Taylor earned seven letters in track and football at Bluffton, where he was selected All-Mid-Ohio League three years and all-Ohio one year.

A social service graduate, Taylorw_taylor served his community as a social worker in such capacities as case worker, intensive caseworker, mental health consultant and team leader for Community Mental Health, where he also served as coordinator of transitional services, senior w_taylor_actionmental health planner and clinical director.

A member of the Ohio and National associations of Social Workers, Taylor has also been treasurer of his church and president of a community organization in Youngstown.

“My four years at Bluffton helped me to think and make crucial decisions for myself,” Taylor said. “It assisted me in understanding how individuals interact, personally and formally, with each other. Bluffton made me aware of the demands I had tow_taylor_doll put on myself and to think and act independently. Bluffton College offered me an opportunity to participate in pursuing a higher education and ultimately a career in social work.”