By Staff
EAST LANSING – Keith Eldred, athletic director at Williamston High School, and Tom Hickman, who recently retired after 39 years of service at Spring Lake High School, are the recipients of the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Charles E. Forsythe Award for 2007.
This annual award is in its 30th year of existence and is named after former MHSAA Executive Director Charles E. Forsythe, the Association's first full-time and longest-serving chief executive. One or two recipients are selected each year by the MHSAA Representative Council based on an individual's outstanding contribution to the interscholastic athletics community. Eldred and Hickman will be presented the award on March 24 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing at halftime of the Boys Basketball Class A Final.
Eldred has spent his entire career as an educator with Williamston Community Schools, where he is currently the Dean of Students.
In his 36 years at Williamston, he also served as a science teacher, middle school principal and athletic director at both the high school and middle school.
As an athletic administrator, Eldred has worked with numerous MHSAA committees and hosted a bevy of postseason tournament events. His greatest contributions have come in his 24 years as an elected member of the Association's governing board, the Representative Council. He has been vice president of the Representative Council for the past six years. His term of service is the longest of any current Council member, and his tenure is only exceeded by that of George Mead, who served from 1930 to 1962 representing Detroit Public Schools.
Eldred has served as a presenter and facilitator at numerous National Federation of State High School Association Summer Meetings. He is also an active member of the Michigan Science Teachers Association, the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and the Michigan Education Association.
In the community, he is active with the United Methodist Church of Williamston and his local Boy Scouts troop. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan University in 1970, and his Masters in Education Administration from Michigan State University in 1981.
Hickman retired in 2003, after 40 years of service to Spring Lake Public Schools, including 33 as the athletic director.
He coached football for 12 years, wrestling for six years and baseball for 25 years at Spring Lake. His baseball teams won two-thirds of their games in nearly 700 contests and reached the MHSAA Finals on two occasions.
As an athletic administrator, he was a founding father of the Spring Lake Booster Club and the Lake Athletic Foundation to help support the school's athletic programs.
He also started the district's Parent
Communications Network Committee and a Winner's Circle program to help students make good lifestyle choices.
A member of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators
Association, the Michigan High School Coaches Association and the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association, he has been honored as a regional Athletic Director of the Year, and named to the baseball coaches association Hall of Fame. The MHSAA previously honored Hickman with the Allen Bush Award in 1994. In 1994, the baseball field at Spring Lake High School was named in his honor.
In the community, Hickman helped start a youth summer baseball league and coached Little League baseball, has served on the board of the Michigan Special Olympics, and is an elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Spring Lake. He is a 1962 graduate of Alma College.
"Through their dedicated service to educational athletics, both Keith
Eldred and Tom Hickman have left their mark," said John E. "Jack"
Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA. "Keith Eldred is an
outstanding teacher and administrator, who's longevity in our business is extremely valuable as we deal with the changing world around us. Tom Hickman's work as a teacher, coach and administrator helped maintain quality programs in his community, and blazed a trail of pride for others to follow. Both gentlemen are wonderful choices for the Forsythe Award."
Past recipients of the Charles E. Forsythe Award are:
1978 – Brick Fowler, Port Huron; Paul Smarks, Warren
1979 – Earl Messner, Reed City; Howard Beatty, Saginaw
1980 – Max Carey, Freesoil
1981 – Steven Sluka, Grand Haven; Samuel Madden, Detroit
1982 – Ernest Buckholz, Mt. Clemens; T. Arthur Treloar, Petoskey
1983 – Leroy Dues, Detroit; Richard Maher, Sturgis
1984 – William Hart, Marquette; Donald Stamats, Caro
1985 – John Cotton, Farmington; Robert James, Warren
1986 – William Robinson, Detroit; Irving Soderland, Norway
1987 – Jack Streidl, Plainwell; Wayne Hellenga, Decatur
1988 – Jack Johnson, Dearborn; Alan Williams, North Adams
1989 – Walter Bazylewicz, Berkley; Dennis Kiley, Jackson
1990 – Webster Morrison, Pickford; Herbert Quade, Benton Harbor
1991 – Clifford Buckmaster, Petoskey; Donald Domke, Northville
1992 – William Maskill, Kalamazoo; Thomas G. McShannock, Muskegon
1993 – Roy A. Allen Jr., Detroit; John Duncan, Cedarville
1994 – Kermit Ambrose, Royal Oak
1995 – Bob Perry, Lowell
1996 – Charles H. Jones, Royal Oak
1997 – Michael A. Foster, Richland; Robert G. Grimes, Battle Creek
1998 – Lofton C. Greene, River Rouge; Joseph J. Todey, Essexviille
1999 – Bernie Larson, Battle Creek
2000 – Blake Hagman, Kalamazoo; Jerry Cvengros, Escanaba
2001 – Norm Johnson, Bangor; George Lovich, Canton
2002 – John Fundukian, Novi
2003 – Ken Semelsberger, Port Huron
2004 – Marco Marcet, Frankenmuth
2005 – Jim Feldkamp, Troy
2006 – Dan McShannock, Midland; Dail Prucka, Monroe