Wabash College Athletics

Ginny Hays, gracious lady of Wabash, thank you for honoring us with your presence. Then again, we can’t imagine a time when you weren’t with the men of Wabash, whether watching a football or basketball game; attending concerts, lectures, and plays; tailgating at colleges around the country; or sitting on the mall at Commencement. You may be a graduate of Indiana Business College, but we claim you as ours, Class of 1998. Yours is a face legions of Wabash men remember long after they’ve left the College. Together with your late husband and our dear friend,

Bill, you have made each and every Little Giant athlete feel special, in victory and defeat. For as long as anyone at Wabash can remember, Bill Hays wrote athletics coaches a personal note after every contest. He would point out team strengths and individual accomplishment, and always accentuated the positive and wrote of the goodness of intercollegiate athletics. Since his passing, you have taken up that meaningful task, pointing out with clarity and kindness that “Wabash Always Fights!” And you are a true sports fan. For example, basketball coach Mac Petty knows he will always see you, right behind the team bench, at each and every home game. His team knows there always will be a note posted on the bulletin board the day after each game, usually accompanied by a newspaper clipping or photograph. That level of constancy — consistency — is how we think of you, Ginny, and how we thought of Bill.

We knew Bill could lift our spirits after difficult losses with a kind word or funny story, and he absolutely knew how to toast victory! We know, too, that you will always be in the stands with a smile and a hug for coaches and athletes alike, just when they need them most. And we know you do these things not because Bill did them, but because you truly love the men of Wabash and the spirit of the Little Giants. Tonight, the National Association of Wabash Men is proud to return that love and admiration by inducting both of you in the Wabash Athletics Hall of Fame. Bill and Ginny Hays — Some Little Giants!