Former Coach To Be Inducted Saturday
Tim Singleton, former Georgia State Dean of Men and cross country coach, will be inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, June 25.
The “Peachtree Papa” was the founder of the famous Peachtree Road Race in 1970. He came up with the original course that started in Buckhead at West Paces Ferry Road by the old Sears store and finished at what is now Woodruff Park, in part because of the downtown July 4 parade and because it was close to his GSU campus office.
Singleton will be a member of the seventh Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame Class and will join the others in the ceremonial event open to the public at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.
This seventh AHOF Class will include 14-year Atlanta Falcon Ring of Honor and Pro Bowl star linebacker Jessie Tuggle and 12-year NBA player and four-time NBA all-star guard Mark Price. Price was a two-time All-America pick at Georgia Tech.
The six previous classes have inducted 35 Atlanta sports figures, many of whom attend the annual induction ceremonies. Last year’s class included GSU football coach Bill Curry.
Tickets are on sale to the public now in three price categories of $20, $40 and $100. The $40 ticket includes a copy of the “Atlanta Sports Legends Book” and the $100 includes a 5:30 p.m. reception party with the inductees and a copy of the legends book. Call 770-343-9012 or e-mail atlantasportshalloffame@yahoo.com for ticket information.
Now living in the Dahlonega area, Singleton used many GSU staff members and students to assist in getting the historical July 4th race started. Singleton created the first Peachtree t-shirt in 1971 and that shirt has since become one of the most famous clothing items of Atlanta. He is in the Peachtree Road Race Hall of Fame. Singleton had earned his Ph. D. from Georgia State and is a three-time Fulbright Scholar.
“Tim Singleton had this amazing entrepreneurial vision, or much the same quality as Billy Payne (Olympic organizer),” said Julia Emmons, longtime Atlanta Track Club leader who followed Singleton’s footsteps when he moved out of town in 1976.
Fittingly, Emmons will be Singleton’s presenter at the AHOF induction ceremony.
At Georgia State, Singleton took over as cross country coach from 1966-72 and many of the school’s runners played key roles in helping start the race. Singleton also founded other road races and was director of the Atlanta Marathon in 1966. A devout runner, he accomplished another of his goals at age 40. That was the running of the 24-mile Grand Canyon Bright Angel Trail.
Tim, 74, and his wife, Martha, have two sons, Tim and Greg.
