VIDEO: JAMES MYERS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
One of the top basketball scorers in the state of Virginia during the late 1940s, Jim Myers led Bridgewater College to new heights in basketball throughout his four-year career.
"Big Jim" was born in Rockingham County and graduated from Bridgewater High School in 1944. After serving a two-year stint with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II, Jim entered Bridgewater College and immediately made his mark on the hardwood as a freshman. An outstanding scorer and shot-blocker, Jim led all collegiate players in Virginia in both scoring and rebounding for the 1946-47 season and was a logical choice for the all-state team. Two years later, Jim averaged a team-best 17.3 points per game and led the Eagles to a 14-4 overall mark, a school record for wins at the time, along with an appearance in the Mason-Dixon Conference championship game. As a senior, Jim was elected captain of the 1949-50 team and earned second team All-Virginia honors after once again ranking among the state's top scorers.
In addition to his basketball achievements, Jim had an outstanding track and field career at Bridgewater and also competed two seasons on the tennis team. In 1949, Jim tossed the shot put 40 feet, 10 inches to set a school record, a mark he surpassed the following spring with a throw of 43 feet, 7 3/4 inches. With Jim's prowess in the weight events, the 1950 Eagles' track team captured the Virginia Little Six championship and placed second at the Mason-Dixon Conference meet.
After graduation, Jim worked at Merck and Company in nearby Elkton and played semi-pro baseball for the Corporation. The Merck team regularly participated in the annual Waynesboro Gold Medal basketball tournament, and Jim was named to the all-tournament team all five years he played. Jim also competed in the Rockingham County Baseball League.
Jim has resided in McGaheysville, Virginia, for more than 40 years and helped build and develop the town's fire department in 1965. He served 18 years as its president and still remains involved in the fire department as well as the United Methodist Church of McGaheysville. Jim was also a charter and life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8644.
"Big Jim" was Bridgewater College's first true "big man" on the basketball court, and his record of achievements in athletics speaks for itself. He is a logical choice for the Bridgewater Athletic Hall of Fame.
