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Livingstone to induct Nine into Hall of
Fame
June 10, 2006
Salisbury, N.C. - The Livingstone College Athletic Department
will induct nine former athletes into its fifth annual athletic
hall of fame June 16-17. The event, "Celebrity Sports
Scholarship Weekend" will consist of a black-tie induction
ceremony on Friday night; which will be held in the Grand Ballroom
of the University Hilton in Charlotte, NC at 8:00 p.m. A celebrity
golf tournament will be held Saturday morning with a 9:00 am
shotgun start at the Rocky River Golf Course in Concord, NC.
Inductees will consists of former women's basketball standout
Dr. Lavilla Mushatt Watson '56 of Nassau County, NY, posthumously
Reverend John Robert Edward Kinard '60 of Washington, DC; who
was a former football standout, former basketball star Robert
N. Wiley '63 of Spencer, NC, former football standout Produs
Scott Perkins '70 of Lexington, NC; former football player
and long-time athletic supporter Dorsey
T. Montgomery Sr. '70
of Goldsboro, NC, former Miss Livingstone and Track & Field
standout Shannon Chinnis Cherry '93 of Charleston, SC, also
former Miss Livingstone and Track & Field Standout Kellee
Dillard Watkins '95 of Durham, NC, former football standout
Troy Veale '95 of Bertie County, NC, and Administrator/former
track & field standout Clifton Huff '85 of Wilmington,
NC.
Dr. Lavilla Mushatt Watson '56, Letohatchee, AL, participated
in basketball, volleyball, tennis and track & field. From
1954-1956, she served as co-captain of the women's varsity
basketball team. She was the leading scorer and MVP. In 1954,
the Lady Blue Bears went undefeated in conference play with
a 12-0 record and gained national recognition. Watson received
a bachelor's degree in Social Work in 1956 and a Master's in
Social Work and a Doctorate in Social Welfare. Dr. Watson has
numerous professional accomplishments recognized by Nassau
County, NY.
Reverend John Robert Edward Kinard '60, Washington, DC, is
also a 1963 graduate of Hood Theological Seminary. Kinard excelled
in track & field, wrestling, and football as a student-athlete.
He earned All-EIAC as an offensive guard on the football team.
After graduation, he became an assistant coach for the Blue
Bears. In 1967, he was invited to become the Director of the
Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Neighborhood Museum in
Washington, DC. His experiences afforded him national and international
acclaim. His lectures took him to Zambia, Tanzania, Nigeria,
Ghana, Sierra Leone, Botswana, Liberia, South Africa, Kenya,
Swaziland, Mozambique, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Reverend Kinard
served for two years as assistant pastor of Galbraith AME Zion
Church and later became the assistant pastor of John Wesley
AME Zion Church where he remained for 22 years.
Robert Wiley '63, Spencer, NC, began his basketball career
in 1956-57 at Dunbar High School in East Spencer. During high
school, he led Dunbar to the 1959 North Carolina High School
Class AA Championships with a 26-0 record. At Livingstone College
as a freshman, he was named to the All-Conference Team and
All-Tournament Team. Throughout his collegiate career, Wiley
averaged 20 points and five rebounds per game. During his junior
season, he led the Blue Bears to the conference tournament
championship while averaging 35 points per game in the three
games played. He was named the Tournament's MVP. Wiley earned
a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honors in Biology/Pre-Med.
After graduation, He worked for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School
System for nine years. After a career in the school system,
he worked for IBM for 30 years.
Produs Scott Perkins '70, Lexington, NC, was a member of the
nationally recognized 1969 football team. He graduated with
a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education. Perkins
became one of the Blue Bears first players to be drafted into
the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco
49ers in the 16th round. After the exhibition season with the
49ers, Perkins played a year with the Washington Redskins Farm
Team in the East Coast Football League. In 1975, Produs Perkins
became a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI). After 30 years of service, he retired from the FBI in
2005. He currently resides in Charlotte, NC and works part-time
for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System.
Dorsey Montgomery Sr. '75, Goldsboro, NC, was a two-year letterman
in football until an injury ended his playing career. Due to
the injury, he became a student assistant under Baxter Holman
and Fletcher Jones. Montgomery graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor
of Science Degree in Business Administration. He is a founding
member and past President of the Livingstone Blue Bears Club.
He now serves as the Vice President and received the Life Membership
Award in November of 2005. Dorsey is also a life Member of
the Livingstone National Alumni Association. His professional
achievements include his current position as Secretary/Treasure
of the International Longshoremen's Association where he is
serving his third three-year term. Montgomery is the 2001 recipient
of the Fletcher Jones Distinguished Service Award for outstanding
service to Livingstone's Athletics.
Clifton Huff '85, Wilmington, NC, has been a student-athlete,
coach, and is currently an administrator for Livingstone. In
the sport of Track & Field, he was noted as a three-time
MVP, while becoming a conference and national standout. Huff
still holds several school records including the decathlon.
He met the 1984 USA Olympic Trial standards as a decathlete.
In 1991, he took over the men's and women's track & field
program and excelled it to the top. Huff produced the 2004
NCAA Men's 200-meter National Champion and 400-meter runner-up.
In addition, he produced 39 NCAA All-Americans, 103 All-CIAA
performers and 28 CIAA Individual Champions. His teams have
been CIAA runner-ups 19 times while five of his teams finished
among the top 20 in the NCAA National Championships. Four times
in Huff's Career, he was named CIAA Track Coach of the Year.
Clifton Huff is now in his tenth year as Director of Athletics.
He was named the CIAA Athletic Director of the Year, and received
the Jeanette Lee Athletic Achievement Award in 1997 and '98.
Also in 1998, Clifton received the Commissioner's Special Recognition
Award.
Shannon Chinnis Cherry '93, Charleston, SC, received many
athletic honors as a track & field student-athlete. She
was named MVP four times and holds the Lady Blue Bears 800-meter
and 1500-meter record. Shannon also earned numerous academic
awards and was a four-year recipient of the UNCF/Citicorp Academic
Scholarship. She served as Miss Livingstone in 1992-93. She
graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with
honors. She recently received her Master's Degree in Business
Administration with concentrations in Human Resources at American
Intercontinental University in Atlanta, GA.
Kellee Dillard Watkins '95, Durham, NC, was a three sport
student-athlete at Livingstone - cross country, basketball,
and track & field. Watkins currently holds the women's
triple jump record for Livingstone at 38-1. She has received
many team awards for all three sports. Academically, she has
received the CIAA Highest Academic Average and Service Award,
the Livingstone Athletic Highest Academic Average Award, the
Lamp of Knowledge Award (Valedictorian), and the Baxter Holman
Award (Most Athletic Female). Mrs. Watkins was the Student
Teacher of the Year and Miss Livingstone College during her
senior year. In 1995, she joined the Livingstone coaching staff
as the assistant coach for women's basketball and track & field.
She was also the Senior Women's Administrator. She coach LC's
first NCAA qualifier in the triple jump. While coaching at
LC, Kellee taught third graders and completed her Master's
Degree at UNC-Charlotte. She was named Teacher of the Year
in 2001-02 at Overton Elementary School and was the runner-up
Teacher of the Year for Rowan County. Mrs. Watkins is currently
employed by Livingstone in the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education.
Troy Veale '95, Bertie County, NC, was a defensive great on
the gridiron. Veale was a repetitive leader in tackles for
the Blue Bears football team. He has recorded more than 20
tackles in one game. In 1994, Veale was selected All-CIAA First
Team, Defensive Player of the Year Runner-up and Black College
All-American Second Team. Veale led the Division II in tackles
with 138 tackles (a 13.8 average). He was a recipient of the
Baxter Holman Award and finished with nearly 300 total tackles.
Veale is one of three founders of One Love Development Services,
Incorporated. One Love services residents in Burke, Forsyth,
Gaston, McDowell, Cleveland, Lincoln, and many other counties.
The induction ceremony, at University Hilton (Harris Blvd.
- Charlotte, NC), is a black tie affair and is open to the
public at $100 per plate. The Celebrity Golf Tournament, at
Rocky River Golf Course - Concord, NC, is also open to the
public at $85 per individual golfer or $325 per foursome. All
Profits will benefit the Livingstone College Athletic Scholarship
Foundation.
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