Noted former Bearkats earn place in Lettermen Association's Hall of Honor

Jimmy Dodd earned two letters in baseball at Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, played on a state championship team, and was all-state in 1961. He lettered four years at SHSU from 1962-'65, played on the NAIA National Championship team in 1963 when he was named the national tournament's most valuable player, and was named to NAIA all-America teams in 1963 and 1965, as well as the NAIA 20th Year Anniversary All-Tournament Team in 1976.

Dodd earned bachelor's (1965) and master's (1968) degrees at Sam Houston State, then taught and coached for 32 years in junior high schools, high schools, and community colleges. He coached district championship teams in high schools and competed in the 1977 national junior college tournament.

A high school and junior college coach of the year, he has written instructional articles and appeared at clinics. Since 1992 he has taught math at Lampasas Middle School.

John Scheer attended high school in Deer Park, participating in football, basketball, track, and tennis. He won team and individual honors on the district, regional and state levels. He entered Sam Houston State on a basketball scholarship in 1956, was a four-year letterman, 1957-'60, and all-conference for three years (1958-'60). He set a record for Texas in 1960, with a 91.7 percent field goal percentage in one game.

After graduating with a bachelor of science degree he was a freshman basketball coach at Sam Houston State and completed his master's degree in 1962. He coached basketball and football at Blinn Junior College, Angleton and Friendswood high schools.

He also taught business administration and served as a principal, was associate pastor for the East Haven Baptist Church, supervisor for the Region IV Education Service Center, and is now director of the Friendswood school district's Alternative Study Center.

Steve M. Shaver participated in football, track and baseball at Bellaire High School, transferring to Sam Houston State from Wharton Junior College where he was all-America, all-conference, and all-Texas.

Shaver started at guard and tackle at SHSU for two years, earning all-conference, all-Texas, and all-America honors in 1961. He received his bachelor's degree that year, later earning a master's degree in 1973 from McNeese State University.

He coached football, basketball and track at Little Cypress junior high, Del Valle, French and (Beaumont) Central high schools, winning a state championship at French and earning Texas State 5A Football Coach of the Year honors in 1984. Before he took over at French, the school had won only five games in five years.

Shaver's overall 20-year coaching record was 125 wins, 62 losses, 13 ties. He is now a driver education instructor at (Beaumont) Westbrook.

Gerald Walling played on Houston's first Little League World Series championship team in 1950. He attended Spring Branch High School, where he earned letters in football, basketball and was all-district in baseball.

He entered Texas A&M in 1957 on a baseball scholarship and lettered his freshman year. He transferred to Sam Houston State the following year, lettering three years, batting over .350 all three years. In 1959 he was voted the Most Valuable Amateur Baseball Player in Houston.

Walling graduated in 1960 with a bachelor of science degree. In 1960 he was captain of the Sam Houston State baseball team, was named to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) all-America team, and played on the U. S. Olympic team.

He spent 37 years in teaching and coaching in the Houston, Spring Branch and Cypress-Fairbanks school districts and Northwest Academy, and is now retired.

An induction luncheon is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Oct. 31. Tickets are $20 and are available from the SHSU Office of Alumni Relations. Call 294-1841 for information.

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Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
Oct. 9, 1998
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