The Hall of Carthage Heroes Oversight Committee is pleased to announce the election of seven Carthage Heroes to the Class of 2020.
Founded in 2012, the Hall of Carthage Heroes, located inside the Fair Acres Family YMCA, is the fulfillment of a dream of Marvin VanGilder and others to recognize and honor Carthaginians whose lives or accomplishments have brought credit and recognition to Carthage, and who are worthy of emulation by today’s citizens. It honors heroes past and present, citizens of distinction and outstanding athletes & teams.
The Class of 2020 was chosen by an independent selection committee of five people, representing various Carthage civic organizations, from nominations submitted by the general public.
The Heroes of the Class of 2020 are:
JOE BORLAND, Golf – Joe was the most exceptional ball-striker in the area throughout his 50 years of golf, winning him almost every recognized tournament in Southwest Missouri. At Carthage High School, he lettered in golf all 4 years and was a member of the Carthage Tiger Big 9 Conference Champions in 1957, 1958 and 1959. After high school, Joe went into the service, making the golf team at Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka and becoming base champion twice. In 1977, he was the Missouri Amateur Low Qualifier at 71. Joe won the Carthage Pro-Am Championship 4 times and placed an additional 13 times. Joe finished 1st in the Center Creek Open in 1979, 1980 and 1981, as well as 1st in the Lamar Open in 1987. He finished 1st in the Dick Mansfield Championship a record 5 times in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013. Joe was named Carthage Men’s Golf Association (CMGA) Player of the Year in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2011 & 2012. He finished first in CMGA stroke play in 2004, 2005 and 2008, as well as senior stroke play in 2011 and 2013. To this day, Joe holds the Carthage Golf Course Record of 59, set in 1998. In his career, Joe has 39 individual 1st place finishes and 50 team 1st place finishes, as well as 32 second place finishes in individual and team play. Joe was inducted into the Joplin Golf Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2020, the Carthage Men’s Golf Association Player of the Year Trophy will be named after Joe.
GARY FREEMAN, Football – Gary is one of the top running backs in the history of Carthage High School, and the best from the era before 1965. He was a halfback for Carthage, playing just two years. Records from the 1940’s are hard to find so we may never know the full story of his football greatness, but in 1947, he gained 1,403 yards rushing. In 1948, he eclipsed his own numbers by posting 1,576 yards rushing. His two-year career total of 2,979 yards rushing in 445 carries, for an average of 6.7 yards per carry, was and is very impressive. In 1948, Gary was the dominant offensive performer for the Carthage Tigers. According to Carthage Press Sports Editor Fletcher Cupp, his rushing yards were 76% of the total for the whole team. Additionally, Gary passed for 282 yards, 84% of the team total, and was involved in laterals for 145 yards, 93% of the team total. He had 7 kick-off returns for 187 yards, an average of 26.7 yards per return. In total for the 1948 season, Gary totaled 2,190 yards and scored 99 points for the Carthage Tigers. Gary led the Carthage Tigers to the championship of the Big Eight Conference in both 1947 and 1948. According to articles by Jack Harshaw, Carthage Sports Editor for many years after Cupp, Gary’s statistics surpass the best by Jack Crusa in the early 1940’s, Bill Samuels in 1953, H.B. Davis in 1956, all of whom have been honored by the Hall of Carthage Heroes for their football accomplishments.
Caryl Belle MacMorran, Preservationist – Throughout her 57 years in Carthage, Caryl was very involved in the architectural preservation of the “historic wonders around Carthage” as she lovingly called the many historic buildings in the community. With the support of then Mayor Ray Carter, Caryl was a founding member of Carthage Historic Preservation, Inc. (CHP) in 1979, along with fellow Carthage Hero Bill Haughawout. They traveled to other historic communities to develop preservation plans for Carthage and invited experts to Carthage to share their knowledge. Caryl served as the first Coordinator for CHP, spending countless hours taking pictures and preparing extensive applications to successfully nominate 600+ properties in 3 districts in Carthage – CassillPlace District, Courthouse Square District and South Residential District – for the National Register. In addition to preserving the charm of Carthage, Caryl recognized the importance of historic preservation for the community’s economic development and heritage tourism. Over the years, Caryl planned luncheons, workshops, educational meetings, programs for youth, house tours, walking tours, teas, calendars, and letter writing campaigns to raise awareness and funding for historic preservation in Carthage. As a board member of CHP, she helped facilitate the 1988 purchase of the Historic Phelps House, one of Carthage’s grandest homes and landmarks. Caryl wrote grants for preservation, helped bring experts to Carthage for preservation surveying, and even got hands on with several restorations of historic buildings in Carthage. In 2003, she was awarded the prestigious McReynolds Award by the Missouri House of Representatives in recognition of two decades of working to preserve Missouri’s heritage and historic treasures.
JOHN O. “PAT” & CAROLYN PHELPS, Citizens of Distinction – Pat and Carolyn’s family roots in Carthage run deep and they have given their time, talents, and treasure over their lifetime to enhance this community for generations to come. Pat has served on the boards of H.E. Williams, McCune-Brooks Hospital, Carthage Rotary Club, Powers Museum, Carthage R9, Jasper County Association for Social Services, and Missouri Southern State University. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Ann’s Catholic Church. Pat was named an Outstanding Young Man of America, received the Missouri Hospital Association’s Excellence in Governance Award, and Carthage Chamber of Commerce Richard M. Webster Citizen of the Year. Carolyn has served on the boards of Carthage R9, Carthage R9 Foundation, Missouri State Schools, McCune-Brooks Foundation, St. Luke’s Nursing Center, Carthage YMCA, MSSU, Missouri Southern Foundation Board, and the MSSU International Piano Competition. She is a member of the Mimosa Garden Club, PEO, and Grace Episcopal Church. Pat & Carolyn were honored as 2012 Grand Marshals for the Maple Leaf Parade. Together, they have championed historic preservation efforts in the area, including The Phelps House, The Sweet House, Jasper County Courthouse, St. Ann’s Church, the Goad’s Building on the Square, and Cave Spring School in Sarcoxie. They jointly serve as Directors Emeritus on the board of Carthage Historic Preservation. As generous givers to MSSU, Pat and Carolyn have campus facilities named in their honor and were awarded the 2015 Spirit of Philanthropy Award. In Carthage, the yet-to-be-built Performing Arts Center for Carthage R-9 will be named in their honor as the facility’s leading donors.
WILLIAM CHASE PUTNAM, SR, Businessman & Civic Leader – As a descendent of early settlers of Carthage and lifetime resident himself, Bill was dedicated to the betterment of his community. He entered his family’s lumber business in 1940 and assumed leadership of the many Putnam wholesale and retail lumber businesses after the sudden passing of his eldest brother and father. He was one of the first lumber dealers in the nation to recognize a coming change in retail distribution and pioneered the first “home centers” in the area, changing the name of his Lumber Specialty Co. to TAPJAC Home Centers to reflect the new business emphasis. He was also involved in land development and house construction in several communities in MO and OK. Bill helped expand area banking interests to Springfield and Kansas City, and served as chairman of the board of the First National Bank of Mt. Vernon and The Aurora Bank, as well as on the board of directors of Boatmen’s Bank of Carthage, The Empire Bank and American National Bank of Springfield, and Jackson County State Bank in Kansas City. Bill enjoyed politics, serving as a member of the Republican City and State Committees, as well as treasurer for Gene Taylor during his entire term in office. Bill was the first chairman of the United Way Fund drive when it originated. He served on the boards of the Mo-Kan Area Boy Scouts, The Salvation Army. McCune-Brooks Hospital, and original Carthage YMCA. He was a member of the Carthage Rotary Club and Grace Episcopal Church. Bill was honored by the Missouri Municipal League for his service to the community.
ANDY THOMAS, Artist – Andy is a nationally recognized artist – his historical and western works hang in numerous museums, galleries, national parks, and private collections. Perhaps most famous for his hugely popular paintings of the “Grand O’ Gang” Republican and “True Blues” Democratic presidents playing cards, Andy paints many subjects – from cowboys, to kids playing sports, tales of the sea, horseracing and more. Many call him ‘The Storyteller’ for his unique ability to bring characters and action to life in his paintings. Andy has completed 29 major paintings for the National Park Service, including Civil War battlefields at Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, and Stones River in Tennessee, as well as Pea Ridge in Arkansas. He has painted numerous Civil War events, primarily the Trans-Mississippi theatre. His work has been on exhibit and/or is a part of the permanent collections of the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Carthage Civil War Museum. Andy also shares his talents with the Carthage community, first with a mural entitled “Memories of Carthage High” at the Carthage R9 Auditorium on Main Street, later designing the theme artwork for the 2011 Carthage Maple Leaf Celebration and Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, and most recently with a design for a piece on the Historic Carthage Square. Andy was honored with the 2013 Carthage Citizen of the Year and Artist Award at the Carthage Chamber of Commerce Banquet. He is an inaugural member of the Russell Skull Society of Artists and recently received the Distinguished Alum Award from MSSU.
These 7 heroes join 80 other Carthaginians inducted to the Hall since 2012.
The installation ceremony for this year’s class will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, November 14, 2020, at the Fair Acres Family YMCA. Family, friends, past recipients, and community members are all invited to attend. Social distancing and masks are recommended and appreciated. For the full biographies and photos of this year’s inductees, as well as information on nominating someone for the Class of 2021, visit the Hall website at hallofcarthageheroes.org.
