By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C. — I woke up this morning to our first snow of the season and the forecast is that snow shall continue throughout the morning. I have mischievously reached the conclusion that the snow was meant as “welcome back to Washington, D.C.” greeting for my good friend Arnold F. Bain Jr., who arrived in D.C. yesterday for his “big night” on Friday, November 16.
Arnold, who attended historic Howard University/ in the late 1960s and early 1970s, is being inducted into Howard’s Sports Hall of Fame during a dinner beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Martin’s Crosswinds, 7400 Greenway Center Drive, Greenbelt, Maryland.
He was a member of Howard’s outstanding 1968/1969 track and field teams, whose members are being inducted collectively into “the 2018 Class of the Howard University Hall of Fame.”
It’s a well-deserved honour. For example, consider this lead paragraph from an article in Howard’s nationally respected THE HILLTOP newspaper on March 6, 1970, under the headline, RITCHIE, MILE RELAY TEAM POST NEW MARKS IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN TRACK MEET: “The Howard University track team moved up to the big times, in the big city, and responded in a big way. Running in the U.S. Olympic Invitational Track Meet held in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, the school’s mile relay team again broke the school’s indoor track record, and All-American Bill Ritchie tied the Olympic record in the 50-meter dash.”
The article included a photo of mile relay team with this caption: “Howard’s record-setting mile relay team, L-R: Ron Lassiter, Dennis Sinellie, Arnold Bain and Mike Nixon.”
Following his graduation from Howard, Bain was active in the administrations of several sports organisations in The Bahamas over the years, and I am really looking forward to “hooking-up” with him over the weekend.
As I noted in an earlier article, Bain was informed of his induction into the Hall of Fame in a letter from Howard Bison Express Chairperson Bruce H Williams.
“It is our great honour and our pleasure to acknowledge you once again on your selection into the 2018 Class of the Howard University Hall of Fame as a member of the 1968 and/or 1969 Track and Field Team,” Williams wrote in his congratulatory remarks.
“We hope that you will return home to the Mecca and join us in November 16-17, 2018 for a weekend of activities to celebrate you, all highlighted by your induction ceremony.”
On Saturday, Howard’s football team will play “The Hall of Fame Game” against Bryant University in Greene Stadium, Williams noted in his letter, adding that “during the game’s halftime you and the rest of our honourees will receive special recognition and congratulations.”
Contacted in Nassau for a comment, Bain said although it took almost 50 years, he was extremely grateful for the honour. “Being voted into the Hall of Fame class of 2018 by Howard University means that from now on, whenever anyone enters the hallowed halls of this renowned university, my photograph and accomplishments will be there under the name Arnold F Bain Jr, Nassau, Bahamas,” he said.
Among those also being inducted is former Bermuda Premier Ewart Brown, who also was a “star” on the 1968 track team.
According to a post on the Facebook page of Bill Ritchie — Howard’s All-American tack star from that era, who is very instrumental in organizing the Hall of Fame Weekend – when he was informed about the honour, former Bermuda Premier Brown said, “This honour by the university caught me off guard. I am very happy for my team-mates who deserve this recognition because they put Howard on the map as far as track and field was concerned. It is indeed special and I look forward to the ceremony next month.”
