*All inductee information current up to the year they were inducted.
Ross Fitzpatrick
Hockey, 1978-82
Inducted 2004
Summerland, British Columbia
- Fifth-leading scorer all-time at WMU (225 points)
- Highest-scoring left winger in school history
- Three-time team scoring champion, only the second Bronco to accomplish such a feat; twice named team MVP
- All-Central Collegiate Hockey Association First Team member
- Chosen in the seventh round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers; appeared in 20 games with the Flyers
Gene Ford
Basketball, 1967-69
Inducted 1995
Chicago, Illinois
- Helms All-American in 1969 and first-team All Mid-American Conference in 1968 and 1969.
- Had three-year career scoring average of 19.6 points per game plus a rebounding norm of 9.2.
- Owns school single-game scoring record of 46 points. Still ranks No. 4 among career Broncos for scoring (1,393) and field goals (843) and No. 7 for free throws (307). His 620 points in 1969 is WMU’s third-best season ever.
- Drafted by NBA Baltimore Bullets but then signed with Carolina Cougars of American Basketball Association. Played two ABA seasons with four teams, plus one pro season in Belgium and another in the Continental Basketball Association.
- Has taught in Chicago Public School system since 1973 and is now a teacher and athletic director at Gale Community Academy, a magnet elementary school.
Jean Friedel
Coach
Inducted 1988
Watertown, Wisconsin
- A 1951 graduate of Wisconsin-LaCrosse who also coached four sports at Illinois State.
- Served on Western Michigan physical education staff (1960-89) and retired as an associate professor.
- Organized and coached Western’s first women’s field hockey, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and track teams and also coached golf and synchronized swimming.
- Field hockey coach for 22 years and members of her teams in this sport and track distinguished themselves on state, national and international levels.
- Named to 10 Midwest and 12 Great Lakes all-star teams as a United States Field Hockey Association player. Coached USFHA Great Lakes team five times.
