Jim Minter worked with legendary Georgia Sports Hall of Fame coaches such as Wally Butts, Bobby Dodd, Pat Dye, Vince Dooley, Erk Russell, and Bill Curry. He is now the recipient of an award named after one of those coaches. Erk Russell brought passion, hard work, and a sense of fun to his time as a football coach; Jim Minter brought the same attributes to his work as a sports writer and editor of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. The GSHF Authority and Foundation are recognizing Minter as the 2017 winner of the “Erk Russell Spirit Award” to honor his time and enthusiasm in covering sports in the state of Georgia.

A Fayette County native, Minter came from his small town beginnings to posts with one of the largest newspapers in the country. He dates backs to cold type, composing rooms, long hours and pre-technology. He was popular with readers all through the South for his style, humor, downhome stories and humorous anecdotes. Minter covered the “big time” names in athletics but he was always attracted to the lighter side of sports and the stories behind them along with his colorful commentary. He worked alongside legendary writers like Furman Bisher and Ralph McGill and he hired and mentored other legendary writers like Lewis Grizzard. With an eye for talent, a unique ability to find a great story and a passion for his home state, Jim Minter is a treasure in the South.

“He covered the major events, big games and big names, but he was at his best with his stories of birddogs and bass fisherman, injecting illuminating humor, more often than not,” says GSHF member, Loran Smith. “His long time support of high school and college athletics-especially with his coverage when it counted in the old days-make his a special contributor to sports in our state.”

The Russell Spirit Award will be presented during the annual Induction Ceremony of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Phil Schaefer will act as Master of Ceremonies at the banquet. Schaefer is a 2016 Georgia Sports Hall of Fame inductee and long time sportscaster. He’s provided commentary for numerous sporting events including University of Georgia football and basketball games, Atlanta Hawks games, The Masters golf tournament, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. A three-time Georgia Sportscaster of the Year, Schaefer also served as the public address announcer for the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Hawks.

Ray Cutright has been involved on the golf scene in the state of Georgia for over 40 years and during that time, he has made quite an impact. Cutright currently serves as the Head Professional at Idle Hour Country Club in Macon, GA. He has won so many awards and served the game of golf in the state of Georgia in so many ways, it is almost impossible to keep count of his honors and service. Cutright was named the National PGA Professional of the Year in 2014. He was also named the National Club Fitter of the Year in 1986 by Golf Digest, and he is one of the elite “Master Professionals” in the country, having earned the honor in 1991.

A tireless teacher, mentor, visionary and role model to young golfers, Ray Cutright is an integral member of the golf community in Georgia. He is also an integral volunteer and advocate for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Cutright has served the GSHF since 2007, and he has a strong passion for the GSHF and the Macon Community to which he gives back so generously. Ray has served on multiple boards for the GSHF and he runs the GSHF Golf Classic each year along with GSHF inductee, Pete Cox. This tournament has become a staple of Induction Weekend at the Hall of Fame, and Ray puts all of his trademark organization, planning and passion into the event, strictly on a volunteer basis. The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Authority and Foundation thought that Mr. Cutright would be a fitting recipient of the inaugural “Taz Anderson Service Award” named after former Savannah, Georgia Tech, NFL, and GSHF great, Taz Anderson, who passed away in September of 2016. Taz had a personality larger than life, and he was a constant presence at the Hall with his passion for the organization; Ray Cutright has the same admirable traits!

“I have not known Ray for that long, but it does not take long to get to like him,” says new GSHF president Derek Waugh. “In the times that we have met and spoken, he has never mentioned all that he does to volunteer for the Hall; others had to tell me; he has a servant’s heart. With all that he does for his community, golfing organizations, youth and golfers of all ages, it is amazing that he undertakes our golf tournament every year. He is a priceless asset for Georgia and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Honoring Ray is also a great way of honoring Taz for all he did.”
The “Taz Anderson Service Award” will be presented during the annual Induction Ceremony of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Phil Schaefer will act as Master of Ceremonies at the banquet. Schaefer is a 2016 Georgia Sports Hall of Fame inductee and long time sportscaster. He’s provided commentary for numerous sporting events including University of Georgia football and basketball games, Atlanta Hawks games, The Masters golf tournament, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. A three-time Georgia Sportscaster of the Year, Schaefer also served as the public address announcer for the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Hawks.

The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame has announced the recipients of its annual achievement awards and the establishment of a new award in honor of GSHF member Taz Anderson, who passed away in September of 2016.
Jim Minter will receive the “Erk Russell Spirit Award,” Claude Lewis will receive the “J.B. Hawkins Humanitarian Award,” and Ray Cutright will receive the “Taz Anderson Service Award” as part of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame’s 2017 Induction Ceremony on Saturday, February 25th in Macon. Presented by the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Foundation’s Board of Directors and State Authority, the Spirit Award recognizes contributions to sport that mirror the enthusiasm that GHSF legend, Erk Russell, brought to coaching football; the Humanitarian Award honors an individual who has made a significant contribution to youth sports in Georgia, and the Service Award recognizes someone who has gone above and beyond donating their time and services in support of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame itself, similar to the way Taz Anderson supported the GSHF.

Jim Minter grew up a farm boy in Fayette County and rose up the ranks to become the Editor of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. After graduating from the Henry Grady College of Journalism at UGA and serving a stint in the U.S. Army, Minter became a sports writer for the Atlanta Journal. Minter worked alongside legends like Furman Bisher and Ralph McGill and hired legends like Lewis Grizzard. While Minter covered the major sports stories of the day and coaches such as Butts, Dodd, Curry and Dooley, his greatest joy was finding the lesser known stories in sports that inspired, entertained and informed. Minter was a legend himself who worked tirelessly to bring Georgians the “scoop” along with all the other subtleties that sports define and accentuate. His heart has always been for covering sports in his home state.

Claude Lewis has been a fixture on the youth sports scene in the Warner Robins area since the 1940’s. In all, Lewis spent 59 years giving back to the community and children that he loved. Starting with little, Lewis ran the Warner Robins Recreation Department and turned it into one of the best recreation departments in the state of Georgia. He has received a lifetime achievement award from the GRPA, and the recreation department facility in Warner Robins is named in his honor. A former boxing champion and three-sport star in high school, Lewis also is credited as the inventor of the sport of Tee-Ball. Lewis traveled throughout Europe teaching the game and also organized games of Tee-Ball on the White House lawn during the Bush Administration. Lewis is a legend who always found time to combine his two passions, the power of sport and the impact that it can have on kids.

Ray Cutright has been instrumental in the Georgia golf community for over 30 years. He is one of the most respected teachers in the state, and is one of the most respected gentlemen in the sport, as well. Cutright serves on innumerable boards and committees that advance the game of golf and specifically youth golf. Since returning to Macon to serve as the Head Professional at Idle Hour Country Club, Cutright has been an invaluable asset to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. A GSHF nominee, Cutright has volunteered countless hours, resources and contacts to help make the GSHF a huge part of the fabric of Macon. He also runs the GSHF Golf Classic each year along with GSHF member, Pete Cox. Volunteers are the key to the vibrancy of the GSHF, and there is none better than Ray Cutright.

While he is not the subject of television commercials, spend fifteen minutes talking to Claude Lewis, and you will come away thinking that he IS the most interesting man in the world. Lewis has served his country, his home state and his community of Warner Robins in innumerable ways. More specifically, Lewis’ life and legacy has affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people. It is for that impact on youth that made Claude Lewis an immensely deserved recipient of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame’s J.B. Hawkins Humanitarian Award.

Claude’s career with kids started when he took a job with the Macon Recreation Department in the 1940s and it extended throughout his 59 year career, spent primarily in the Warner Robins area. As the head of the Warner Robins Recreation Department during four decades; Lewis created one of the top recreation centers in the state of Georgia, winning numerous state recreation awards. He has been a mentor, coach, and surrogate parent to thousands of kids and is a treasure to his community and the state of Georgia. In addition, Lewis is credited with inventing the sport of Tee Ball when he was looking for a way to allow younger players to enjoy baseball. Lewis has taught the game throughout the United States and the world, through his travels from Robins Air Force Base to Europe and beyond. During the Bush administration Lewis was also invited to the White House to play the game he invented with children on the White House Lawn.

“Mr. Claude Lewis personifies the very ideal of a wonderful person worthy of honor and praise,” says Mayor Randy Toms of Warner Robins. “He has literally touched mores lives in a positive way than could ever be numbered. His contribution to society goes far beyond the boundaries of the conceivable imagination. The impact he has had on people, young and old, through his ingenuity in creating a better way for children to enjoy the game of baseball is immeasurable.”

The Humanitarian Award will be presented to Claude Lewis during the annual Induction Ceremony of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Phil Schaefer will act as Master of Ceremonies at the banquet. Schaefer is a 2016 Georgia Sports Hall of Fame inductee and long time sportscaster. He’s provided commentary for numerous sporting events including University of Georgia football and basketball games, Atlanta Hawks games, The Masters golf tournament, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. A three-time Georgia Sportscaster of the Year, Schaefer also served as the public address announcer for the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Hawks.

The members of the Class of 2017 who will be inducted at the banquet are; football player Keith Brooking, golfer Laura Coble, tennis coach Manuel Diaz, football and track athlete Willie Gault, basketball player Matt Harpring, football player Garrison Hearst, athletic leader/golf coach Liz Murphey, and football player Jeff Saturday. The weekend will begin with the GSHF Golf Classic at Idle Hour Country Club on Friday, February 24th; the GSHF’s annual FanFest will be held Saturday afternoon from 1pm-2:30pm at the museum. The Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 25th at the Historic Macon City Auditorium with the cocktail reception at 5:30pm downstairs and the banquet at 6:30pm in the main room upstairs.

Tickets to the banquet may be purchased by calling the Hall of Fame offices at 478.752.1585. For more information on the Induction banquet, the Class of 2017, and all of the weekend’s events, visit www.gshf.org or email Candice Hall at [email protected].