James "Red" Hawkins passes

James "Red" Hawkins, a former coach and administrator at Xavier University and Fort Valley State passed Monday at the age of 87. Hawkins graduated from Fayetteville State Normal School in 1936 and returned and earned his bachelors degree in 1942. He earned his masters from the University of Iowa.

Coach Hawkins began coaching as an assistant while at Fayetteville State. In 1947, he joined the staff at Xavier University in New Orleans, serving as assistant football coach, head basketball and baseball coach. In 1960, he was named athletic director, head basketball coach and assistant football coach at Fort Valley State. He reinstated the baseball program in 1962 and served as coach. He served as Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) President of Coaches and Officials in 1958, basketball tournament committee (1955-87), chairman of the tournament committee (1980-87), executive secretary of coaches and officials (1966-87), and vice-chairman of coaches and officials. In 1980, he retired as athletic director and served as commissioner of the SIAC until 1990.

At the national level, Coach Hawkins served as a member of the NCAA Council from 1971-73. He was one of the earliest Black members of the council. He served on the basketball and track and field committee of NCAA Division III.

Throughout the years, Coach Hawkins maintained strong ties to his alma mater. He helped to establish the FSU Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a charter member.

One of his greatest accomplishments was recording his many years of service to the SIAC. In 1994, he wrote "History of the SIAC: 1913-1990". This was the first book written about an HBCU athletic conference. In spite of the fact that many of the conference's records were missing, he wrote this 612 page book from his personal records and information obtained from friends. It is thorough and well written, and still the only full text history of a Black college athletic conference.

A wake is scheduled for Thursday, April 26 at the Edwards Funeral Home with a Memorial Services scheduled for Friday, April 27 at noon in the C.W. Pettigrew Building on the campus of Fort Valley State.

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