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THE LIST THE LIST Arranged in alphabetical order picture (left right,the toptop to orderto(from bottom), the left), the following following individualsindividuals made made Referee’s “most officiating’s “most influential” list. 1) Sandy Alderson 2) Emily Alexander 3) Ken Aston 4) Esse Baharmast 5) Ray Bernabei 6) Charlie Bloodworth, Don Shea, Jack Manton 7) Irv Brown 8) Jim Burch 9) Bill Chadwick 10) Barney Deary 11) Reid Evans 12) Ron Foxcroft 13) George Gardner 14) Darell Darrel Garretson Garretson 15) Ellwood Geiges Elwood Geigus 16) Ed Gildersleeve 17) Doug Harvey 18) Bill Humphrey 19) Sandra Hunt 20) Bill Klem 21) Norman Lamb 22) Cal Lepore 23) Bryan Lewis 24) Stanley Lover 25) Barry Mano 26) Jerry Markbreit 27) Tommy Mason 28) John McCauley 29) Art McNally 30) Arthur Mercante 31) Ian “Scotty” Morrison 32) Mel Narol 33) Hank Nichols 34) John Nucatola 35) Dr. Lloyd Olds 36) Violet Palmer 37) Dave Parry 38) Eddie Pearson 39) Richie Phillips 40) Pam Postema 41) Tom Ravashiere 42) Mendy Rudolph 43) Ed T. Rush 44) Bernie Saggau 45) Al Salerno and Bill Valentine 46) Norm Schachter 47) J. Dallas Shirley 48) Pat Smith 49) Al Somers 50) Sam Statland 51) Oswald Tower 52) Marcy Weston
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hy are we here today? Why do we do the things we do? Why do we buy gear at one-stop officiating stores or make signals during games to communicate? We are officiating today because of those of the past and present who have paved the way for us. Their influence has affected the way we move on the field, court and ice, the way we dress and even the way others look at us. Which individuals have made an impact so great that they shaped the industry? Who are the most influential figures in officiating history? To identify influentials, it is important to define influence. One definition of influence in the American Heritage Dictionary is “the power to sway or affect based on prestige, wealth, ability or position.” While prestige and wealth aren’t words generally linked to officiating, ability and position certainly are. Many people have used their ability and position to affect the direction of officiating, from its beginning to the present. Referee accepted the challenge of identifying those people who most influenced the industry. Why do those people deserve recognition and mention? That’s easy. They made officiating.
IDENTIFYING INFLUENCE When we — Referee’s editors — set out early in the year to identify the most influential people in officiating history, we knew the assignment would be a difficult one. But we “live and breathe” officiating more than most. We read and write about it during the day and then put it into practice on the fields or courts at night. It’s the basis of our livelihood. There’s nothing we’d rather talk about, so the idea of coming up with such a list, while challenging, was comparable to getting an ultimate assignment. We started by throwing out any officiating industry names that came to mind, names like Marcy Weston, Darell Garretson, Art McNally and Richie Phillips. The names kept coming. We knew that there would be no shortage of individuals to examine and discuss. Over the next few months we brought the topic up for discussion regularly at our edit meetings. In addition, we posted the question to others in the industry. We asked the officiating directors in all of the major sports for their selections. In addition, we asked top officials in various sports for their lists of influentials. We asked officials who were a sure-bet to make the final list and those who weren’t among the elite but knew officiating as writers or historians. Once we had a lengthy list of influential figures, we examined the list and determined who should stay, who should go and who, if anyone, we had forgotten. The results are unscientific, but the collective work and influence of those on the list has surely shaped the way we do business — the way we officiate. The list is presented in alphabetical order. We did not rank the order of importance of those who made it. Everyone selected has done something to influence the people or overall product of officiating. Their efforts have made our officiating involvement possible and meaningful. Even after reading about the lengthy selection process, you, our readers, will inevitably question some of the choices. Some
selections may even cause you to scratch your head. Maybe you’ll wonder why a specific individual was left off. We want your opinions about the list. If we’ve overlooked someone, we want to know about it. We want you to join the debate. Nominate influential figures that you think we missed. Or tell us why a certain person should be replaced by another. Write to letters@referee.com. We will compile your comments and consider them for publication.
WHAT MAKES THEM INFLUENTIAL Those on the “most influential” list fall into different categories. Some made the cut for a variety of reasons, others were selected for one distinct attribute or contribution. All were influential. Those who made the list fit one or more of the following categories: 1. Individuals who influenced what most officials know and believe — who helped officials better understand the broad responsibilities they carry — even beyond the adjudications made during a game. 2. Individuals who have directly helped to shape the ways officials view themselves. 3. Individuals who influenced the way officials carry out their responsibilities. 4. Individuals who made it possible for officials to live “expanded lives” — in the material, psychological, cultural and possibly spiritual sense. 5. Individuals who were ideally suited to a particular moment in which they wielded influence. 6. Individuals who, through the power of an idea, influenced a broad number of officials on a sustainable basis.That is the undercurrent of officiating knowledge. 7. Individuals who shaped the institutions of officiating and/or shaped institutions that affect officiating in a substantial way. 8. Individuals who can be adjudged to have been, or to be, influential more so than famous. (One of those is fleeting, the other is not.)
For those reasons, the notable or noteworthy individuals selected made the list. While 52 were chosen, many more were considered.
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Ray
Barney
BERNABEI, 81
DEARY (1926-1988)
Bernabei is a longtime National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA) executive director and a NISOA hall-of-fame member who formed the first college chapter, developed the first mechanics booklet and refereed soccer at the high school, college and professional levels for more than 40 years.
Charlie BLOODWORTH (1928-2006), Don SHEA, 76, Jack MANTON, 64 Bloodworth, Shea and Manton were among the first notable basketball officiating camp directors.With their innovative schools, they changed the education and advancement process for basketball officials.
Deary made a huge impact on umpire development and training for the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation and the minor leagues. He was responsible for shaping the careers of many top umpires.
Reid
EVANS, 59 President of Advanced Business Technologies, Evans has changed the way officials receive and accept assignments with online assigning through The Arbiter. Many leagues and conference now rely exclusively on online assigning.
Ron
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BILL STRAUS
FOXCROFT, 62
CHARLIE BLOODWORTH
JACK MANTON
DON SHEA
Irv
BROWN, 72
Inventor and manufacturer of the Fox 40 whistle, Foxcroft developed an industry standard for officiating with the Fox 40. The whistle is among the symbols of officiating. It’s a part of what we do and how we do it. COURTESY OF FOX 40
Brown is a former NCAA Division I men’s basketball official who worked five championship games. During his prime, he worked simultaneously in eight major conferences. His style and approach to the game made him a national identity in sports and sports officiating.
BURCH, 80 Burch was among the AfricanAmericans who broke the color barrier in collegiate officiating when he rose to the NCAA men’s basketball Division I level in the late 1960s. It was a time when few minorities even dreamed of working major-college sports. His achievement paved the way for others.
Bill
CHADWICK, 92
GARDNER (1903-1998) A three-time Sugar Bowl and one-time Rose Bowl official, Gardner is the father of collegiate football mechanics. He was well-respected for his rules knowledge and is a member of the Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame. In 1933, he pioneered the development of the first manual for football officials.
Jim
STEVE WIDMANN
George
BILL STRAUS
Nicknamed “The Big Whistle,” Chadwick was the first legendary hockey official from the U.S. A former NHL official who was blind in one eye, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. He developed hand signals in the sport to let fans know why he was blowing the whistle.
Darell
GARRETSON, 75 Garretson served as an NBA official for 27 years — from 1967-94 — and then as the NBA supervisor of officials for 17 years. He developed the current three-person mechanics and was instrumental in building the NBA officiating staff.
DALE TAIT
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Ellwood
Bill
GEIGES (1895-1977)
KLEM (1874-1951)
A prominent college football official, Geiges developed the first signals for football officials. Since he made his mark on the game in the 1920s, officials have been using signals to communicate in every sport.
Baseball hall-of-famer and former major league umpire who worked 18 World Series, Klem raised baseball umpiring to a profession and brought professionalism to the industry. Known as the “father of baseball umpires,” he was the first umpire to use arm signals while working the plate, he holds the record for the most games worked and was one of the first to wear a modern chest protector inside his shirt, changing the look of the game.
Ed
GILDERSLEEVE (1931-2003) Among the first officiating gear providers, Gildersleeve served officials with the mail-order company BUG Officials’ Supply from 1966-83. He changed the way officials shop for uniforms and gear and paved the way for others in the officiating gear industry.
Doug
HARVEY, 77 Harvey is a former major league umpire who worked five World Series. Known as “God,” he raised the performance standards for umpires in the modern era.
Norman
LAMB, 72 As an Oklahoma State Senator from 1971-88 and small-college football official, Lamb was at the forefront of assault legislation in the industry, spearheading REFEREE legislation to establish and protect officials’ rights. Under his leadership, Oklahoma became the first state to pass sports officials’ assault legislation in 1978.There are now 19 states that have passed officiating assault laws.
Cal
LEPORE (1912-2002)
DOUG HARVEY WITH THEN METS CATCHER GARY CARTER
DAVE STOCK
Known as the “godfather of replay,” Lepore worked Super Bowl III and was instrumental in introducing instant replay as an officiating tool in the nowdefunct USFL. It was also Lepore’s idea to institute the coach’s challenge system in connection to replay.
Bill
HUMPHREY, 67 One of the original founders of the ASA national umpire schools, Humphrey served as the 31st president of the ASA and was an outstanding ASA umpire from 1953-84. He also developed a mechanics and training curriculum for ASA.
Sandra
HUNT, 48 A trailblazer for female soccer referees, Hunt received her national badge by officiating men’s games. As a former FIFA referee, she worked the 1999 and 2003 Women’s World Cups and the 2000 Olympic Games. Her impact on the sport continues as a U.S. Soccer and FIFA instructor and assessor.
MALCOLM EMMONS
Bryan
LEWIS, 65 Former NHL official and NHL director of officiating from 1989-2000, Lewis was integral in developing the details of the two-referee, two-linesmen system, which is still the way the NHL game is officiated.
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Stanley
LOVER, 81 A former referee, Lover is a noted historian and the preeminent English-speaking soccer author, writing such books as Soccer Rules Explained and Stanley Lover's Masterclass for Soccer Officials. He has been the authoritative source for two generations of top soccer referees.
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Barry
Arthur
MANO, 64
MERCANTE SR., 87
Mano is the founder and president of the National Association of Sports Officials, the world’s largest organization for sports officials at every level. He is also the publisher of Referee magazine, the most widely read officiating monthly in the world. His contributions to the industry brought officials together and gave them a voice.
Jerry
The dean of boxing referees worldwide, Mercante worked on five continents and refereed more than 120 world title fights, including the Fight of the Century. (FROM LEFT) ARTHUR MERCANTE SR. AND LONGTIME BOXING JUDGE TOM KACZMAREK
MARKBREIT, 72 The face of NFL officiating, Markbreit worked four Super Bowls as a referee and went on to promote officiating and the industry through his three books, speaking engagements, film work and his Chicago Tribune “Ask a Referee” column.
ROGER WILLIAMS/UPI PHOTO SERVICES
Ian Scotty
MORRISON, 77
DALE TAIT
Tommy
MASON, 76 National umpire-in-chief for the ASA from 1972-80, Mason started the umpire training programs and umpiring manual that are still in use today. A National ASA Hall of Fame member, he was innovative with the rules and his instruction made an impact worldwide through clinics in the U.S. and seven foreign countries.
Morrison was a former NHL official and NHL referee-in-chief from 1965-86. He is responsible for the development and training of scores of professional and amateur hockey officials and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999. IAN MORRISON (RIGHT) PICTURED WITH WAYNE GRETZKY AT HOCKEY HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
PETER JONES/REUTERS
Mel
John
MCCAULEY (1944-1989) As a former NHL referee and NHL director of officiating, McCauley influenced the sport and the officiating industry through his leadership and vision, mentoring many top level officials.
Art
MCNALLY, 82 McNally changed the face of officiating as NFL supervisor of officials from 1973-91. He established an innovative rating system for the NFL staff and helped pioneer the use of game films and videotape to train and evaluate, which is still in use today.
NAROL (1950-2002) A former basketball official and the foremost authority regarding legal issues affecting sports officials before his death, Narol authored numerous articles for magazines, such as Referee, and newspapers. He was instrumental in raising sports officials’ awareness of officiating and the law and was the driving force behind many court cases affecting officials. BILL STRAUS
Hank
NICHOLS, 70 Nichols worked six men’s Division I title games, which is still an officiating record. He made officiating at the college level a career and has served as NCAA coordinator of men’s basketball officiating since 1986.
MALCOLM EMMONS
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John
Eddie
NUCATOLA (1907-2000)
PEARSON (1928-1978)
One of the founding fathers of the College Basketball Officials Association, Nucatola wrote the book on threeperson basketball officiating, Officiating Basketball, and dedicated his life to the development of the sport and basketball officiating. He served as NBA supervisor of officials and conducted more than 1,200 clinics worldwide.
Namesake of one of the most prestigious officiating honors in U.S. Soccer, the Eddie Pearson Award, Pearson was among the developers of the nationwide USSF referee program in the early 1970s. He was the first USSF director of referee instruction and is a member of the Soccer Hall of Fame.
Richie
PHILLIPS, 67
CARY HERZ
JOHN NUCATOLA (CENTER) WITH ED MIDDLETON (LEFT) AND BOB RAKEL
Dr. Lloyd OLDS (1892-1982)
Phillips served as counsel to both the NBA referees’ union (National Association of Basketball Referees) and the MLB umpires’ union (Major League Umpires Association). He was instrumental in establishing each organization as a legally recognized collective-bargaining unit. His contract negotiations led to improved compensation and job security for the NABR members. He also brought MLUA umpires increases in salaries, per diem, pensions and insurance packages before his mass resignation strategy failed and led to a number of umpires losing their jobs.
Pam
Olds designed and wore the first officiating striped shirt, the undeniable piece of clothing that still identifies officials as officials. He debuted it for a basketball game played in Detroit in 1921.
Violet
POSTEMA, 53 Postema was the first woman to umpire a major league spring training game and the second woman in the minor leagues. By finding success at the Triple-A level before being released, she helped women in baseball umpiring.
PALMER, 43
BRIAN SPURLOCK
Tom
Palmer is a successful NBA referee who has helped to break down color and gender barriers in officiating through her quality officiating. She is a former NCAA Division I women’s basketball official who worked four women’s Final Fours, including two national championship games.
RAVASHIERE (1920-1999) A former minor league umpire, Ravashiere was named head of the International Baseball Association umpire committee in 1981 and served in the position until his death, selecting umpires for four Olympics. A member of the college umpiring hall of fame, he was instrumental in umpire development at the amateur levels.
Mendy DARRYL DENNIS/ICON SMI
Dave
PARRY, 72 As the first and only national coordinator for college football, Parry introduced annual training videos, led the redesign of the mechanics manual and worked to have all Division I conference officiating staffs operate in the same manner. As coordinator of the Big 10 Conference, he was also instrumental in introducing replay at the college level.
RUDOLPH (1926-1979) Rudolph was a former NBA referee and NBA referee chief-of-staff who put a face on NBA officiating. He saw NBA officiating move from part-time to a fulltime respected occupation. He worked 22 consecutive championship seasons and his number 5 jersey was retired by the NBA.
Ed T.
RUSH, 65 A former NBA referee and supervisor of officials, Rush was instrumental in bringing NBA officiating into the media and technology era. He helped develop training for crew chiefs, developed a leadership program and outreached to the rest of the industry more than any supervisor before him.
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Bernie
Sam
SAGGAU, 79
STATLAND, 63
Saggau is a former Iowa High School Athletic Association executive director and former high school and college football and basketball official. An NFHS Hall of Famer, he made high school officiating part of the overall product of high school sports.
A former official who was president of Statland & Katz, Ltd., insurance agency, Statland was instrumental in establishing the first liability program for officials in 1978, called the National Sports Officials Group Insurance Trust. Statland raised officials’ awareness about officiating liability issues.
Al SALERNO, 76, and Bill VALENTINE, 75
Oswald COURTESY OF AL SALERNO
Salerno and Valentine were AL umpires whose firing from baseball after trying to attend an NL meeting dealing with unions helped to bring umpires together and launch the union movement. (FROM LEFT) BILL VALENTINE AND AL SALERNO
Norm
TOWER (1898-1968) A 50-year member of the National Basketball Rules Committee,Tower played a central role in basketball’s development in the first half of the 20th century. He served as editor of the Official Basketball Guide from 1915-59 and was an official rules interpreter.Tower officiated both football and basketball for more than 35 years.
SCHACHTER, 93 A 22-year NFL official who worked three Super Bowls, including Super Bowl I and the Ice Bowl, Schachter continued to work for the league after retirement from the field. He edited the league rulebook, helped write the officials’ manual, wrote weekly exams for officiating crews and served as an observer.
J. Dallas
Marcy
WESTON, 63
MALCOLM EMMONS
SHIRLEY (1913-1994) One of 12 basketball officials enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, Shirley was a member of the original NBA officiating staff in 1948. A longtime editor of the CCA Basketball Officials Manual, he helped to make basketball a sport officiated by professional people.
A former officiating standout and NCAA national coordinator of women’s basketball officiating,Weston advanced NCAA women’s sports and women’s officiating.Weston was so good at what she did she made it possible for other women to excel.
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Pat
SMITH, 83 A member of the Soccer Hall of Fame, Smith is credited for doing more for U.S. soccer referees than any other person in soccer’s history. A charter member of NISOA, he was editor of the first NISOA referee mechanics manual.
Al
SOMERS (1905-1997) Recognized as the finest umpire instructor of his time, Somers, who was known as “The Whip,” helped thousands establish umpiring careers. Seventy of his former students reached the majors.
PHOTO CREDITS FROM LEAD GRAPHIC (LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM): COURTESY OF MLB, COURTESY OF EMILY ALEXANDER, REFEREE, COURTESY OF ESSE BAHARMAST, COURTESY OF RAY BERNABEI, REFEREE, BILL STRAUS, REFEREE, REFEREE, BILL STRAUS, IMPERIAL OIL-TUROFSKY/HHOF, REFEREE, REFEREE, REFEREE, REFEREE, DALE TAIT, COURTESY OF CCA, REFEREE, REFEREE, REFEREE, COURTESY OF SANDRA HUNT, BILL KLEM PHOTO, REFEREE, COURTESY OF USFL, REFEREE, COURTESY OF STANLEY LOVER, REFEREE, REFEREE, COURTESY OF TOMMY MASON, GRAPHIC ARTISTS/HHOF, REFEREE, REFEREE, GRAPHIC ARTISTS/HHOF, COURTESY OF MEL NAROL, COURTESY OF HANK NICHOLS, CARY HERZ, COURTESY OF DR. LLOYD OLDS, COURTESY OF VIOLET PALMER, COURTESY OF DAVE PARRY, COURTESY OF NATIONAL SOCCER HALL OF FAME, ONEONTA, N.Y., REFEREE, REFEREE, COURTESY OF TOM RAVASHIERE, N.R. PUOPOLO, COURTESY OF ED. T RUSH, REFEREE, COURTESY OF AL SALERNO, GENE PRESCOTT, REFEREE, REFEREE, COURTESY OF NATIONAL SOCCER HALL OF FAME, ONEONTA, N.Y., COURTESY OF AL SOMERS, COURTESY OF SAM STATLAND, PHOTO CREDIT UNKNOWN, COURTESY OF MARCY WESTON
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