VIDEO: HERBERT RUBY HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
The late Herb Ruby, a 1941 Bridgewater College graduate and former standout on the Eagles' baseball team, demonstrated a lifelong dedication to the creation and development of athletic and physical education programs before his death in 1990.
Herb was born in Champaign, Illinois, and attended the University of Illinois for one year before transferring to Bridgewater in 1938 on the advice of his pastor. He would go on to earn three letters in baseball and two in basketball and was often referred to as the "star baseball player" of his era by the BC Bee. In his first season, Herb hit .356 and won two games on the mound for the 1939 baseball team. After winning three games and stealing six bases the following year, Herb put together his best season as a senior in 1941. That year he amassed a 4-2 record as the team's top pitcher and finished with a .429 batting average at the plate. Herb also posted an 11-inning victory over the College of William & Mary and struck out 11 Roanoke hitters in an 8-3 win in his final game in an Eagles' uniform.
Immediately after graduation, Herb played semi-professional baseball for the Staunton Presidents of the Virginia Baseball League. In 1942 he entered the U.S. Army and served in the 15th Air Corps as a first lieutenant. He completed 50 missions as a B-24 bomber pilot in the European Theater during World War II.
In 1945, Herb returned to Carroll County, Maryland, and embarked on a 32-year career as a teacher, coach and administrator in the county school system. He began as a teacher at Manchester High School before transferring to nearby Westminster High in 1947. At Westminster, Herb implemented the first football program in Carroll County and enjoyed great success as head coach of the football and basketball programs. He led Westminster's basketball team to the 1947 Maryland state title and compiled a 78-61-11 record in football, including Cumberland Valley championships in 1957 and '59.
Herb later became Carroll County's first supervisor of health and physical education and was responsible for the creation of other high school football programs as well as the Outdoor Education program. In 1989 Herb was inducted into Maryland Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame and was elected as a charter member of the Carroll County Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.
Herb Ruby was a superb athlete, coach, and citizen. He is a natural choice for the Bridgewater Athletic Hall of Fame.
