History of the Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame

In the Winter of 2000, Bill Baxter, Forrest City businessman, who also served as Athletic Director of Forrest City Schools Athletic Program, contacted a half dozen individuals from the community and invited them to a meeting to discuss an idea. Attending the meeting were former athletes from Lincoln High School, Forrest City High School and members of the media who had covered the schools’ athletic events throughout the years.

Bill informed those in attendance that he had long been amazed at the number of outstanding athletes who had come out of Forrest City. Many former Lincoln Tiger and Mustang Athletes had gone on to star in colleges, universities, and professional sports. Bill said he thought it was time to put together a Hall of Fame to recognize those individuals.

Every person agreed to help Bill make his dream become a reality. The group of individuals in the room became the steering committee for the “Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame”, and by the fall of 2000, nine athletes were being recognized in the initial induction.

Since that first Forrest City Hall of Fame Ceremony, many family members and former teammates have attended Hall of Fame

activities. Each year, we honor outstanding men and women who represented their school and community.

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Bill was the Executive Director of the Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame until his death in 2013. Bill’s idea had turned into such a positive event for Forrest City that everyone agreed it should continue.

Dr. Rodney Echols, an outstanding Lincoln Athlete, former Mustang Head Basketball Coach, Deputy Superintendent, and Athletic Director in the Forrest City schools agreed to take the executive director’s position and continued in that position until his death in 2022.

Two members of the Steering Committee, Frederick Freeman and Malloy Nimocks immediately agreed to organize the 2022 HOF Induction Activities and have continued in that capacity, serving as Co-Chairs of the Hall of Fame Committee.

Effective with the 2025 FCA Hall of Fame Event, the committee agreed to partner with the Forrest City Rumble on the Ridge Committee to co-host a golf tournament held the immediate Saturday following the Friday’s HOF activities and football game. Additionally, starting in 2025 the HOF members have been offered the option to purchase at a discount a HOF blazer.

In recent years the Hall of Fame has been supported by funding from the Forrest City Advertising and Promotion Commission. This A & P funding is in addition to contributions from Hall of Fame members and tickets sales from the annual banquet. Thanks to these funding sources the Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame continues to be a community positive annual event.