Hall of Fame
In 1967, Jerry Shaw broke the color barrier at Lenoir-Rhyne and became the first African-American to earn a scholarship and play for the Bears as a member of the football team. Shaw's renaissance didn't stop there as he would go on to become the first-ever African-American coach as he was part of Jack Huss' 1978 coaching staff. Lenoir-Rhyne would go on to name Shaw Plaza and Shaw Center in his honor and the university gives out a Jerry Shaw Excellence in Programming Award every year to the person of the LR community who has exemplified compassion and excellence in student programming. Jerry went on to work at Lenoir-Rhyne as a Residence Director and Director of Student Activities. Shaw was a member of back-to-back conference championships in 1967 and 1968.
