GREENSBORO, NC- Ken Free, Sr. is among the 13 honorees being inducted into the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame class of 2013. Free, a former Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) commissioner was named under the administrative category. This year’s reception and banquet will be held Monday, September 16 at the Greensboro Coliseum with a 6:30pm start. . Reserved tables are $750 and individual general admission tickets $75. To purchase tickets, please contact the Greensboro Sports Commission (336) 378-4499 (deadline September 6).
“It is a wonderful honor being named to the Guilford County Sports Hall,” said Free. “I am humbled that the Greensboro Sports Commission felt I am worthy. I have always loved our local recreational flavor and will continue to support its activities as well as this prominent organization.”
Free was a star baseball player and graduate of both Greensboro’s Dudley High School and North Carolina A&T State University and has always been devoted to athletics and recreation. Professionally, he played in the Negro League for The Raleigh Tigers during the 1959 season and played in the East/West All-Star game in Chicago’s famous Comiskey Park. That game highlighted the Negro League season and drew 45-50 thousand people and all the Major League scouts. He started the 1960 season traveling with Negro League icon Satchell Paige who is a member of the Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame. Free finished the 1960 season by signing a pro contract with Hickory of the Western Carolina League. In 1961 the NY Mets were approved as a MLB expansion team, bought the contract and assigned Free to their farm team, The Raleigh Caps of the Carolina League.
He began his venture into athletics management as a community center director at Windsor for the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department. He then moved up to become a regional Parks/Recreation consultant for the state of North Carolina Department of Natural and Economic Resources. Through his professional administrative prowess and deep concern for youth and intercollegiate athletics, Free became the first full-time commissioner of the MEAC in 1978 and reigned until June 1996. He made Greensboro the conference headquarters early in his tenure. Free was instrumental in the drive for MEAC institutions to attain NCAA Division I status, which became a reality in 1980. In 1987, he was named to the powerful NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Selection Committee, becoming the first African-American appointed to that group.
After his MEAC run, Free served as Commissioner of the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (EIAC) from 1996-2006.
In 1986, Free received the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Society prestigious FELLOW AWARD, the highest honor in that association. Also, during his eight years with the state of NC, he received the ORDER OF THE LONG LEAF PINE from the late Governor James Holshouser.
Most recently, he served on the Greensboro Parks and Recreation committee.
Along with Free, this 2013 class includes the ACC's all-time leading rusher Ted Brown (High Point Andrews, NC State, NFL), the only football player on this year's list. Tennis is represented by Jane Preyer and Jim Winstead, both former players and coaches. From golf comes former amateur standout Bill Harvey. Gayle Currie of Guilford College represents the coaching rank. Wade Garrett was a standout in fast-pitch softball. Tom Martin is being recognized for a wide spectrum of contributions to sports in Guilford County. Two media members are included. Wilt Browning is a former writer for the News & Record and Woody Durham served as Sports Director at Channel 2 for 14 years before becoming the "Voice of the Tar Heels" at the University of North Carolina. The first five classes included deceased inductees. A Legends Class for posthumous induction was created in 2010 and will increase with three additions this year. They are major league outfielder Ralph Hodgin, minor league baseball pitcher Rube Eldridge and trap shooter Hunter Galloway.