[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 93 (Monday, July 18, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         MTSU's JOHN STANFORD: MOVING MTSU TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL

                                 ______


                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 18, 1994

  Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank one of the finest coaches 
and athletic directors in the history of Middle Tennessee State 
University, Mr. John Stanford, for his tremendous dedication and 
devotion to MTSU's sports program, and to congratulate him on becoming 
the university's first director of athletic relations.
  In Mr. Stanford's 14 years as baseball coach of the Blue Raiders, he 
led the team to an astounding record of 402 victories, 272 losses, and 
4 ties, for a winning percentage of .596.
  He took the Blue Raiders to the NCAA tournament four times, his teams 
won four Ohio Valley Conference championships and was named the OVC 
Southern Division Champions on five occasions. His 1982 team went all 
the way to the Midwest Regional Championship round, where it advanced 
to within one game of the College World Series.
  In recognition, Coach Stanford was voted the OVC Coach of the Year in 
1976 and was cowinner of that honor in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1987. He 
was also named South Region Coach of the Year in 1982 by his peers--the 
American Association of College Baseball Coaches.
  His promotion to athletic director in 1987 was designed to spread 
Coach Stanford's winning ways to the entire university--and it 
succeeded. During his tenure the Blue Raiders won Ohio Valley 
Conference championships in five men's and three women's sports, with 
the MTSU women winning the OVC All-Sports trophy in 1990-91.
  An even better measure of John's accomplishments at MTSU than his 
winning record, as impressive as it is, is the legacy he leaves for 
others to follow. John Stanford was the guiding force behind MTSU's 
master plan for athletics, appropriately called moving to the highest 
level.
  Fortunately he will continue to develop and refine that master plan 
along with President James E. Walker in his new capacity as director of 
athletic relations.
  That 20-year record of accomplishments explains why the entire MTSU 
community is honoring him with a roast on Wednesday, July 20, 1994--and 
why MTSU is so far in his debt.

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