1916 - 1980
Laurence “Porky” Morgan, a former NATA president, became Kansas State University's first athletic trainer in 1951 and served in that capacity for the Wildcats until his death. Morgan received several awards during his career at KSU, but he took the most pride in the Porky Morgan Scholarship Fund for Wildcat athletic training students.
1923 - 1980
After graduating from Stanford University, Lincoln “Link” Kimura helped establish the Pacific Coast Athletic Trainers Association. He was head athletic trainer at San Jose State University from 1948-63 and then spent many years with the San Francisco 49ers. He was an early proponent of certification and served on the NATA Board of Certification.
1911 - 1977
When he died, Ross Moore had been a member of the University of Texas-El Paso campus for more than half of its existence. He came to UTEP in 1936 as a football and basketball player. After graduating and serving in the Navy, Moore returned to UTEP to coach and teach before becoming the head athletic trainer. Moore created fiberglass pads for specific injuries, and he was proud of mentoring students who followed him into the profession.
1916 - 1994
A member of several world record-setting relay teams in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Wayne Rideout went on to become an athletic training leader in Texas. He spent 30+ years caring for high school athletes, inspiring many of them to become prominent athletic trainers and leaders in their own right.
1920 - 2009
A founding member of NATA, Wayne Rudy used the characteristics he acquired as a major in the U.S. Air Force to keep athletes motivated and focused. He was with Southern Methodist University from 1947-59; when the Dallas Texans (now known as the Kansas City Chiefs) were founded in 1960, Rudy was their first athletic trainer. He stayed with the team until retiring in 1983.
1911 - 1984
Joseph Blankowitsch spent 32 years on the athletic training scene at the high school or college level in Pennsylvania, beginning in 1945. He gave lectures and demonstrations to athletic training groups and held offices in EATA and NATA.
1920 - 1984
William “Pinky” Newell was Purdue University's chief athletic trainer from 1949-76; he also was an assistant professor at Purdue. Acknowledged as the Father of NATA, he was Executive Secretary for more than a decade, and many subsequent leaders credited him for their success. A former football player for the Boilermakers and 1947 graduate, Newell served as an athletic trainer at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics and coordinated all athletic training coverage for the 1984 Olympics.
1918 - 1999
Charles Medlar taped, wrapped, rehabilitated and befriended Penn State University athletes from 1946-82. He also was the university's head baseball coach and an assistant professor, mentoring up-and-coming athletic training students. Medlar provided coverage for the Olympics in 1964 and 1968.
1914 - 1985
Dean Nesmith became a legend during his long tenure at the University of Kansas, from 1938-83. He administered to some of the world's greatest athletes, including Gale Sayers, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim Ryun and Jo White. Nesmith served as athletic trainer at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
1905 - 1993
An athletic trainer for numerous All-Star games and U.S. track events, Ed Byrne also wrote for professional publications. Byrne, who spent 20+ years as athletic trainer at the University of California at Berkley, was one of three athletic trainers for the junior AAU team in its 1973 track and field meets.