ELKINS – The Davis & Elkins College Athletic Department inducted its four newest members to the Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies Saturday, May 14. The newest Hall of Fame honorees included David Christy ('28), Cecil "Tex" Irvin ('32), Dr. Lew Michaels ('64) and Michael Grayson ('80).
The event, which was part of the inaugural Senator Nation Weekend, coincided with the athletic awards banquet at the Harper-McNeeley Auditorium on the campus of D&E.
David Fred Christy was the first of two members inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously. A 1928 graduate of D&E, Christy was an original member of the Basketball team known as the Scarlet Hurricanes. Christy led Davis and Elkins College to four consecutive winning seasons in the mid and late 20s.
Christy was a part of the 1924-25 team which won 30 consecutive games to go undefeated under coach Cam Henderson. During his time with the Scarlet Hurricanes, Christy helped D&E to wins over schools like George Washington, St. John's, Marshall, Niagara, Buffalo, and Duquesne, as well as major programs like Florida, Georgetown and West Virginia.
Christy was considered to be one of the best pivot men in college basketball and was the scoring ace for D&E, large part to his eye for long shots, well before the age of the three-point line. During his four year, Christy amassed 1,328 points over his four seasons on campus.
After graduation, Christy worked for the federal government in the U.S. Forest Service, Department of the Army and Department of the Interior.
Cecil Irvin was also inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously. Irvin, who was more commonly referred to as Tex in Elkins, is a 1932 graduate of Davis and Elkins College and was a member of the Scarlet Hurricanes football team.
Irvin came to Davis & Elkins after playing for a year at Schreiner Institute, a prep school in Texas. He then came to West Virginia and played under coach Cam Henderson for the next four seasons as a tackle and fullback. Tex would go on to help the Scarlet Hurricanes to memorable wins against college football powers Fordham and Navy.
Against Navy, Irvin raced down the field and tackled the ball carrier inside the Midshipmen 5-yard line. Four plays later he blocked the punt and recovered it in the endzone for six points, the only points in the game. The win for Davis and Elkins College earned the school football notoriety. Later that year, he was named an All-American for his efforts.
Irvin also helped the Scarlet Hurricanes to a famous victory in front of over 10,000 people at West Virginia, leading D&E to a win over the Mountaineers.
Irvin would go on to play for the Providence Steam Roller and then moved on to play four years for the New York Giants. In 1934, he was a member of the Giants team that won the NFL Championship.
Dr. Lew Michaels, a 1964 graduate of Davis & Elkins, was a member of the Senators Tennis program from 1961 to 1964. As a freshman in 1961, Michaels was the number two tennis player and quickly took the number one role in 1962.
Michaels carried the number one role through the rest of his time at Davis & Elkins College. The three-year team captain was an all-conference award winner in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
In 1974, Michaels was recognized again by the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as a part of the 50th Anniversary All-Conference team for Tennis.
While at D&E, Michaels was a member of the Golden Circle honorary leadership fraternity, Chi Beta Phi national honorary science fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi, the Drill Team and served as senior class vice president.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, Michaels attended Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated with honors in 1969. Michaels has been an American Veterinary Medical Association honor roll member for his entire career and is a member of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, AAHA and Northern Virginia Veterinary Medical Association.
Michael Grayson is a 1980 graduate of Davis & Elkins College and was a member of the Senators Soccer program from 1976 to 1980 under head coach Fred Schmaltz. Grayson came to Davis and Elkins College from his native Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, where he was a member of the senior team in 1975.
Grayson was an impact player on the field for the Senators and excelled during his time at Davis & Elkins, earning All American honors in all four seasons. In 1977 he helped lead the Senators to a third place finish in the NAIA National Tournament. Grayson was also a part of fourth place finishes in 1976 and 1978.
Grayson helped Davis & Elkins College to multiple West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships and was named the Conference Player of the Year in 1977 and 1979. Grayson also competed in the 1980 National Senior Bowl.
Grayson's peers in the Friends of Senator Soccer lauded his achievements by presenting him as a Member of the Best XI of All Time award in 2015.
After graduating with a Bachelor degree in Spanish from D&E, Grayson went on to earn his Masters degree in Spanish from Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. where he also coached as an assistant.
Grayson is currently the dean and acting vice principal at St. Joseph Secondary, a 6-12 grade school in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He continues to share his athletic talents as the head soccer coach at St. Augustine Secondary school, a position he has held since 2004. Grayson has coached his team to nine East Zone Intercol championships.
Davis & Elkins has honored alumni with induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame since 1974. Plaques and athletic memorabilia are on display in the Hilda and Robert R. Butler Lobby of The McDonnell Center.
Davis & Elkins College Athletics is committed to developing excellence in student-athletes, coaches and staff through education, engagement, character and competition.
