EL Paso Hall of Fame

The El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame elected eight new members Wednesday night, led by former Texas Western basketball player Charles Brown (1956-59), the first black athlete to attend the school.

Joining Brown as inductees in the athlete category were Mexican 1984 Olympic swimmer Sara Guido and former world champion kick boxer Cliff "Magic" Thomas.

Former Miner assistant and current Chicago Bulls head coach Tim Floyd and former Canutillo, Cathedral and Gadsden High coach Julius Lowenberg are the coaching category honorees.

The El Paso Times' Bill Knight, who has spent the past 20 years writing about local sports, was chosen as the media inductee. Dotson Lewis was selected in the official category and longtime boxing trainer Rocky Galarza received a posthumous selection.

All eight will be inducted into the Hall at a banquet scheduled for May 12 at the Thomas Rivera Room at UTEP. Former Miner basketball player and current Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson, inducted into the Hall in 1974 will be honored at the banquet with a lifetime achievement award.

Brown, who is retired and resides in Southern California following 25 years with the San Francisco public schools system, remains number 12 on UTEP's all-time basketball scoring list with 1170 points. He is the only non-Don Haskins coached player among the top 25 scorers, averaging 17.4 points during his career. Amazingly, the 6-foot-2 Brown also still ranks in the top 15 in UTEP rebounding, averaging eight per game.

More importantly, Brown broke down barriers when he arrived at Texas Western in 1956, becoming not only the first black player at the school but the first in the South.

Knight, known for his heart-felt features and always-friendly approach, has received more than 30 awards for his writing over the years.

Inductees: