Sports - October 2003

Sports’ Hall of Fame Inductees

Published October 1, 2003

Necip Ari, Wes Beam, Roby Jetton, Russell Mincey and Thurman Ward named

By GEORGE SMITH, Special to the LTN

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The Lincoln County Sports Hall of Fame has announced the names of the 2003 inductees.

They will be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame, Saturday November 8, 2003 at the Sports Hall of Fame Banquet.  The inductees are:

Dr. Necip Ari, Came to Lincolnton in 1975 to open an OB-GYN medical practice.  Dr. Ari was known to Armature Boxing in the United States as the "The Boxing Doc".

 He served as a ringside physician decades before such a specific title recently gained popularity. He never accepted payment from boxing for his services, yet generously donated invaluable wisdom, gifts and advice to young armature boxers. 

Dr. Ari was recognized in 1987 as "Dr. Ray Weason Physician of the Year" and was inducted into the North Carolina Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997.  He attended over 30 national boxing tournaments. He has served as the "Chief Physician" for the USA Boxing Association.  He has attended over 15 international boxing tournaments and participated in the 1988 Olympics in Souel Korea and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga.

Wesley D. Beam, Graduated from West Lincoln High School and Appalachian State University.

While at West Lincoln High School he was a three sport athlete for four years, participating in football, basketball and baseball. 

He received All Conference honors in both football and baseball.   Beam, was a cornerback for the ASU football team from 1968 - 1972. He was a three year letterman for the ASU football team.

After graduation from ASU he returned to Lincoln County as an educator and began his coaching career at West Lincoln High School where he coached defense for eight years for the football team before becoming head football coach, a position he held for six years.

He was varsity baseball coach for fifteen years and Athletic Director for six years. Beam was named "Coach of the Year" in the SD 7 2A conference in baseball 1982-83.  He moved on to East Lincoln High where he was defensive coordinator for 13 years.  He has a reputation of demanding and getting the best from his student athletes. He has gained respect and notoriety from his peers and the community for his devotion to sports and education in Lincoln County.

Roby D. Jetton,  A life-long native of Lincoln County, Roby brought much recognition to himself and Lincoln County with his many accomplishments in amateur and professional boxing.

Roby compiled more than 222 bouts over the years, losing only 19.  He was twice Golden Glove Champion, once in the Open Heavyweight and once in the Novice Middleweight.

He represented North Carolina in the AAU finals in Chicago in 1962.  He went on to compile a record of 15-1 as a professional boxer.  In 1999, Roby was inducted in the Carolinas' Boxing Hall of Fame. 

He also had an outstanding high school career in football. He was named to the All-Conference team his senior year in high school and received Honorable Mention to the All-State team in 1961. His football career continued and in 1969 Roby played two years for the Gaston Patriots.

Roby has devoted countless hours as a volunteer for many sports related activities in Lincoln County.  He is a charter member of the Lincoln County Sports Hall of Fame board of directors and served two years as the Co-chairman.

Russell "Red" Mincey,  a Lincoln County native and graduate of Lincolnton High School.  Minceys' love for baseball and his devotion to the game made him a notable player from high school and throughout his professional baseball career.

 In 1938 after graduation from Lincolnton High School, where he played baseball for coach "Block Smith", Mincey entered professional baseball. He began his professional baseball career in Huntington, West Virginia.

 He left baseball to serve his country during World War ll, while in the Navy he played baseball with the Navel Air Station team in Norfolk, Virginia.  Mincey played for many teams throughout Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia. He was manager in 1948 of the Lincolnton Cardinals. Mincey ended his baseball career as manager of the Marion Marauders.

During the 1950s he coached various "Little League" baseball teams in Lincolnton.  He also became an avid golfer winning the Lincoln Country Club championship in 1965.

Thurman "Jule" Robert Ward, who lived most of his life in Lincolnton, graduated from Galas High School where he lettered in four varsity sports, including football, basketball, baseball and track.  He received a scholarship to play football at Duke University under Coach Wallace Wade.

 At Duke, Jule Ward was a starter, playing both offense and defense. He distinguished himself as a versatile backfield player, switching positions as needed as halfback or blocking back for All American Ace Parker.

Following graduation, Jule Ward was an assistant backfield coach under Coach Wallace Wade at Duke.  He became one of the youngest head football coaches in the nation at Morris Harvey College ( Now the University of Charleston) West Virginia. 

He left coaching to join the Navy where he served during World War ll. He was in the first officers' training class at the Naval Academy.  Former President Gerald Ford was among the lieutenants who worked with Lt. Ward to start the first pre-flight training facility housed at the University of North Carolina.

After receiving an honorable discharge as a Lieutenant Commander he moved to Lincolnton with his wife, Jane Goode Ward, a Lincolnton native, where he continued his interest in football by supporting local high school football programs.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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