2011 Inductees

3rd Annual Dobyns-Bennett High School Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: September 29, 2011

CLASS OF 1948

Hal Miller

Hal Miller is a native of Kingsport. He graduated from Dobyns-Bennett where he earned All-State, All-Southern and All-American honors in football.

In 1947 he was a member of D-B's team that was not scored on during the regular season. In 1948 he set a state record for the shot put.

In addition, he co-captained the Georgia Tech 1952 National Championship team. In 1953 the National Championship team went on to deafeat the University of Mississippi in the Sugar Bowl. He capped his college career by being voted to play in the College All-Star Game in Chicago in August 1953.

Upon graduation from Georgia Tech, Hal was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL draft. He played on season before entering military service. Following his stint in the military, Hall returned to Kingsport where he had a successful career with Eastman Chemical Company, retiring in 1993.

Hal has been inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame and in 1992 was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Frank Broyles, athletic director, University of Arkansas wrote of Hal in 1992, "Based on my forty-four-four years as a collegiate coach and administrator, I would rate Hal Miller as equal to-if not the best-of any offensive tackles I have had the pleasure of coaching or watching play."

In 2001, Hal was inducted into the Northeast Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

CLASS OF 1945

Sam H. Anderson

Sam H. Anderson is a native of Kingsport. After graduating from Dobyns-Bennett in 1945, he spent 26 months in the Navy during World War II with 20 months over-seas. After his return home from the Navy, he attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and was a member and officer of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and a member of UT's Nahhelahi Board.

During his high school, college and full time after college, Sam worked for Latimer-Looney Chevrolet for seven years. Next he spend eight years as president of Tennessee Iron and Metal Company in Kingsport. Now it was time to change direction and he founded Anderson-Ford, Inc. where he served as president for 25 years.

Over the years, Sam has been very active in his church as has severed several terms on the First Presbyterian Church Session as a Ruling Elder and chaired a successful $3 million fundraising drive for the First Presbyterian Church addition. He has served as president of Holston Presbytery Camp at Banner Elk in North Carolina.

In Kingsport, Sam is well-known and respected. He has been very active in every organization in which he participates. He has been the first vice-president and on the board of the Kingsport Merchant's Association; board member and past vice-president of H olston Valley Community Hospital Foundation board and with his wife, DeLois, stated the Three Star Gala which has raised $6.5 million for the Hospital Foundation. For 12 years, he and DeLois served on the Foundation Underwriting Committee.

After all the accomplishments in his life, Sam still finds time to travel, play tennis, go boating and of course, read.

CLASS OF 1964

Richard A. Arnold

Richard Alan Arnold graduated from Dobyns-Bennett in 1964 where he majored in basketball. He was captain of the 1963-64 D-B basketball team and a three-year starter that won two District One Championships, one Regional Championship and one third place finish in the Tennessee State Championship.

After graduation, Richard attended East Tennessee State University on a basketball scholarship. While at ETSU, he earned numerous team and individual honors - one was being elected to the ETSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.

After completing his basketball career, he earned his J.D (Juris Doctor) from the University of South Carolina and L.L.M., (Masters of Laws) from the University of Illinois. He clerked for the Honorable William E. Miller in the United States Circuit Court for the Sixth Circuit and has been admitted to practice before the United State Supreme Court. Richard is currently a nationally recognized trial lawyer specializing in antitrust litigation. In addition, he serves as a special assistant attorney general in several states prosecuting or providing counsel.

Richard lives in Rogersville, TN with his wife, Mary (DBHS Class of 1965) where they manage a ranch specializing in pure breed cattle and harness race horses.

CLASS OF 1965

James F. Barker

James F. Barker is a native of Kingsport. While attending Dobyns-Bennett he was a member of the track team and won the state track meet in pole vaulting during his senior year. Also during his senior year, at the age of 17 his father died suddenly making Jim the "man of the house" to his two younger brothers.

Jim received his BA from Clemson University in 1970 and his masters of architecture and urban design degree in 1973 from Washington University in St. Louis. He was also recognized in 2005 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the Institute of Urban Design.

Jim was named President of Clemson University in 1999 with a mandate form the Board of Trustees to lead Clemson into the top ranks of American universities. At his inaugural address in April 2000, he said, "I am convinced that there is no university in America stronger than Clemson where are 'One Clemson.' A united Clemson is unstoppable."

For his leadership, Jim has received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest civilian honor and the Cliff's Business Person-of-the-Year Award from Greeneville Business Magazine. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from the Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina State University and Mars Hill College.

Recently, in 2010 he and his wife, Marcia were invited to ride the Santa Train and were grand marshall's of the 2010 Kingsport Christmas Parade.

CLASS OF 1950

Dr. Richard Blankenbecler

Dr. Richard Blankenbecler was born in Kingsport and graduated from Dobyns-Bennett. As a senior, he was awarded the Bennett and Edwards Award, a tip to New Orleans with classmates to see the 1950 Sugar Bowl, for having the highest grade point average on the football team!

After graduation, he attended Miami University in Ohio and then went to Stanford University for graduate study. In 1958 he was awarded a PhD in theoretical physics and went to Princeton University on a National Science Foundation Fellowship. In a short time he became on of the youngest tenured theoretical physicists ever at Princeton. He provided calculations and data interpretation for experimentalists. He won a prestigious Sloan Foundation Fellowship during this period and was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society.

Dr. Blankenbelcher has published more than 100 scientific papers and trained more than 50 PhD theorists who have professorships at many top universities as well as many high tech companies such as IBM.

He is a Professor Emeritus from Stanford, an Adjunct Professor at Virginia Tech, an Adjunct Fellow at the Nevada Cancer Institute, an Overseas Fellow at Churchill College, University of Cambridge and a Professeur Etranger at the University of Paris. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Miami University of Ohio in 1989.

There are many more awards, patents, etc,; however, he still has had time to enjoy the mountains. In 1958 he was struck by lightning immediately upon summiting the Grand Teton via the north face and was unconscious for an hour. To celebrate his 45th birthday he climbed El Capitan in Yosemite Valley in two days, sleeping halfway up!

CLASS OF 1973

Simpson "Skip" Brown, Jr.

While Simpson "Skip" Brown, Jr. was attending Dobyns-Bennett he became one of the more accomplished players on Buck Van Huss' basketball teams. Skip's records are recorded in the school's basketball history. While at D-B he had a combined total in his junior and senior years: 77 wins, 6 losses and finished second in the Tennessee State Tournament; was MVP of Tennessee State Tournament in Gallatin his senior year; High School All-America; All-Conference and All-State. His #14 jersey was retired and later stolen from the Trophy Case at D-B. After high school, Skip signed with Wake Forest on a basketball scholarship.

During Skip's sophomore year (1974-1975) and senior year (1976-1977), Wake Forest was first round in conference play; reached the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament and finished 9th in the AP Poll. His Wake Forest #15 jersey is one of nine retired. He graduated in 1977 with a BA and continued at Wake Forest to complete his MBA.

Skip has over 25 banking experience with the exception of a brief career with the NBA Boston Celtics. He started his banking career in the savings and loan industry and later moved to Bank of America where he spent almost 20 years. In 2004 he founded Tri-Stone Community Bank in Winston-Salem. It grew to an approximate $200 million asset bank before it merged with First Community Bank in 2009.

Simpson "Skip" Brown, Jr. is president of the Triad Region for First Community Bank where he is responsible for all banking operations for the state of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Skip was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 as well as the East Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

Contact Us!

Dobyns-Bennett High School Alumni Association

One Indian Court

P.O. Box 3337

Kingsport, TN 37664

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