As of February 2026, Quitman Sports Hall of Fame, Inc. was officially established and is one of the first of its kind in East Central Mississippi.
The organization was created by Dr. Howard Bartee, Jr. as a way to recognize deserving athletes and coaches in Quitman throughout the years.
“I grew up in Quitman and graduated from Quitman High School and know the history of Quitman High School prior to it becoming Quitman and the history of Shirley Owens High School and Zack Huggins High School,” explained Bartee. “There were a number of athletes who passed through there that may not have had their story told. The Sports Hall of Fame would give us an opportunity to kind of tell their story and make it a part of the history of Quitman, Zack Huggins, and Shirley Owens High School. That’s kind of the foundation of it. Another part of my inspiration to start it is I’m Mrs. Bartee’s son. I know she’s doing a project on all the black school sites. It’s more focused on the history, but I’m a sports person and wanted to bring the sports side up. There are so many athletes that came out of Quitman, Zack Huggins, and Shirley Owens that people don’t even know about. Keeping those stories alive is a big part of my inspiration.”
Although they are still in the process of filling some of the positions on the committee since the organization is just getting started, they have already established criteria for the selection process they will use to determine who is inducted into the Quitman Sports Hall of Fame.
“It’ll encompass Shirley Owens, Zack Huggins, and Quitman High School, so we’re looking at pre-1970 when it was Shirley Owens and Zack Huggins, as well as post-1970 after the schools integrated into Quitman High School. It will include student athletes, coaches, and contributors,” informed Bartee. “In our committee, we have developed selection criteria, and we have a website that has all the criteria for induction. Anyone that’s interested or desires to become part of the hall would need to submit an application. That can be done electronically on the website. Once that information comes in, it will be reviewed by the selection committee. At a certain date later in the year, we will announce the names of the inductees, and we anticipate having our first induction ceremony in May of 2027.”
Nominees are not limited to living athletes and coaches.
“It will be open to individuals that are living as well as deceased,” continued Bartee. “That’s really one of the big focuses. There have been many athletes that have passed through those schools that are no longer here. The criteria we set does allow for posthumous inductions. It could be from years past or present from those schools. We just encourage anyone in the community that has information or desires to nominate someone to complete the nomination form and submit it on the website.”
One of their main goals is to tell the story of each athlete or coach, and they are actively searching for speakers and information and articles on former players and coaches at the schools.
“What we anticipate being involved in is doing oral histories. We’re urging individuals that attended Shirley Owens, Zack Huggins, or Quitman High School to do an oral history where they just tell some of the sport stories from those schools,” added Bartee. “They can reach out to us because we’re starting the canvassing process for identifying individuals that can do oral history. That’s a component of the hall. Those individuals won’t necessarily be inducted into the hall, but it’s going to be added to the webpage where these oral histories will kind of document some untold stories and contributions because they will not only be student athletes. The Hall of Fame will be open to coaches and community organizers who may have had an influence or contributed to the sports history at one of the schools. We want to be able to tell those stories and keep them alive. For those that are inducted, we want to give them an opportunity to attend an induction ceremony and celebrate the history of these three schools. We’re just seeking as much information from the public about those schools and athletes. It’s a community initiative that we anticipate will be something for everyone to see and celebrate the lives of individuals in sports that have made these schools such a great place. We also have a Facebook group that people can join and start connecting by sharing pictures and memorabilia like that. We really need the pictures and oral history right now, and we’re going to categorize those on the website as well as the Facebook page.”
The website to submit an application and learn more information about the Hall of Fame is quitmansportshalloffame.com.
The following is the criteria and selection process that the committee will use to determine who will be inducted:
Selection Process
• The Selection Committee ranks prospective inductees annually.
• The Committee Chair submits top choices to the Executive Board for review and final selection.
Player Criteria
• Eligible 5 years after last interscholastic competition following their high school graduation
• Must be a minimum 2-year letterman and graduate from high school
• Considered for honors such as:
o All Conference, All City, All-Region, All District, All State, All American
o Statistical leadership
• Playing or being drafted into professional sports strengthens candidacy.
• Minimum requirements:
o 5 years post-competition following their high school graduation
o 2 year letterman
Team Criteria
• Eligible 5 years after last interscholastic team competition following the team’s high school graduation.
• For the team to be considered, they must have achieved a minimum of three of the following:
o Conference, City, Region, District, South State, North State, State, or National Champions
NOTE: Statistical leadership, including overall record, will be considered as well.
• Minimum requirements:
o 5 years post-competition following team’s high school graduation.
Coach Criteria
• Eligible 5 years after death, retirement, or departure in good standing
• Evaluated on:
o Win/Loss percentage
o Coach of the Year Honors (Conference, City, District, State, National)
o Number of players achieving All-American, All-State, All-Star, All-District, All Region, All-City, All-Conference status
o Number of players advancing to professional sports
o Community engagement and leadership
o Significant contributions to interscholastic competition
Contributor/Administrator Criteria
• Eligible after 5 years of significant involvement and/or financial support (not necessarily consecutive).
• Must have made a substantial contribution to the school’s athletic program
• Demonstrated long-term impact on community pride and athletic heritage through advocacy, mentorship, or organizational leadership
In Summary:
• Players must meet minimum eligibility and honors standards
• Coaches are judged on performance, player development, and community impact
• Contributors/Administrators qualify through sustained support, substantial contributions, and long-term community influence
