VIDEO: DELMER BOTKIN'S HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
Delmer Botkin was an outstanding baseball player while a student at Bridgewater College.
Delmer signed a professional baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians upon graduation from high school and played for the Milwaukee Braves between his sophomore and junior years at Bridgewater.
Delmer was not eligible to play college sports for the Eagles, but he stayed involved with the athletic program. He served as the baseball student assistant coach in 1963-64 and basketball team trainer from 1962-63.
Following graduation from Bridgewater College, Delmer embarked on a distinguished career in public education spanning more than 40 years.
He began his career as a teacher and coach and moved quickly into administration. He coached both baseball and basketball early in his career before moving into the role of athletics director.
During his tenure as both an assistant principal and principal, Delmer served on numerous committees and held many executive positions at the Valley District, region and state level.
From 1985-87 he served as president of the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and in 1986 he was the recipient of the National Federation Citation for Contributions to Interscholastic Athletics. In 1989 he was the recipient of the Virginia High School League Distinguished Service Award and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association's Distinguished Service Award. In 2000, Delmer was inducted into the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame.
Delmer served as chairman of the Virginia High School League from 2002-2003 and has been a VHSL Foundation Board Member since 2003.
The Valley District, where Delmer served as an administrator at Robert E. Lee, Broadway and Turner Ashby, instituted the Botkin Cup for the 2005-06 school year. The award recognizes the Valley District high school displaying the highest level of achievement in all VHSL activities during the school year.
In recognition of his talents as an athlete and of his distinguished service to secondary education, Delmer Botkin is a deserving candidate for induction into the Bridgewater College Athletics Hall of Fame.
