Bridgewater College

VIDEO: JIM UPPERMAN HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY

James E. "Jim" Upperman, a four-year letterman in basketball at Bridgewater, ranks as one of the all-time greats of the hardwood. A superior athlete, he also lettered as a freshman in baseball. But it would be in the basketball arena where Upperman took the Eagles to new heights.

Jim is the career leading scorer at Bridgewater with 2,237 points, and he is second in career rebounding with 1,111 caroms. He holds school records for the most career field goals made (890) and attempted (1,735), and for most free throws made (457). He helped Bridgewater to a 56-44 record during his four years, including an 18-9 season in 1966-67, when that squad made the finals of the Mason-Dixon Conference tournament. That squad distinguished itself as the only Eagle team to make the Mason-Dixon finals. Jim was honored as an All Mason-Dixon Conference first team member after his sophomore and senior seasons and he won second team honors as a junior. He was also selected All-State during his sophomore and senior seasons, and he was a Small College All-American nominee in 1968.

Jim graduated from Bridgewater College in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, earned his master's degree from the University of Virginia in 1973, and gained a Doctorate of Education from Virginia Tech in 1995. He started his professional career in education in the Rockingham County schools as a teacher, coach and principal at Turner Ashby, Montevideo, Elkton and Spotswood high schools from 1968-1984. He then moved to the Manassas city school system where he has served as superintendent. An active member in many civic organizations, Jim also was the President of the Bridgewater College Alumni Association in 1984.

Jim Upperman's leadership on the court as an Eagle and in the community as an educator makes him an obvious choice for the Bridgewater College Athletic Hall of Fame.