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A resolution recognizing the 55th Anniversary of the 1966 Pearl High School State Basketball Championship team.
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WHEREAS, 2021 marks the 55th Anniversary of the 1966 Pearl High School basketball team, which was the first all Black team to play an all White team in the state championship; and
WHEREAS, the 1966 Pearl High School team was coached by the legendary Cornelius Ridley, with a starting lineup consisting of Ted McClain, Perry Wallace, Walter Fisher, James Douglas, and Joe Herbert; and
WHEREAS, the 1966 team won 32 consecutive games with no defeats, including a victory over Memphis’s Treadwell High School for the state championship held in Vanderbilt University’s Memorial Gymnasium; and
WHEREAS, Governor Frank Clement, who had previously watched the team play, presented the state championship trophy to the Pearl High School basketball team, which was the first time for a governor to present the trophy; and
WHEREAS, the 1966 Pearl High School basketball team inspired all who were witness to their outstanding achievements on the hardwood, which went on to pave the way for present-day athletes of color in Nashville; and
WHEREAS, three of the five starting players are in the Metro Nashville Sports Hall of Fame, with a fourth to be added this April; and
WHEREAS, the skills and lessons learned on and off the court enabled all of the team’s players to graduate from college, and contributed to the future professional successes of the players:
James Douglas graduated from Memphis State University and is in the real estate business
Walter Fisher graduated from Fisk University and is a retired teacher and coach
Willie Fisher is also a retired teacher and coach
Ted McClain graduated from Tennessee State University, played in the NBA, and is now an entrepreneur
Joe Herbert graduated from Fisk University and is a retired Rutherford County Schools principal
Perry Wallace graduated from Vanderbilt University and went on to become a lawyer
Melvin Smith is the owner of a family operated funeral home
Charles “Tony” Moorman is a longtime employee of the Metropolitan Parks Department
Ervin Williams retired from the U.S. military and resides in Texas
Tyrone Fizer is a retired teacher in Maryland
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WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognize and honor the outstanding achievements of the 1966 Pearl High School championship basketball team.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan Council hereby goes on record as recognizing the 55th Anniversary of the 1966 Pearl High School State Basketball Championship team.
Section 2. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.