It was 1989 when a group of enthusiastic Jim Thorpe men got together and came up with a plan to get what would be called "The Jim Thorpe Area Sports Hall of Fame" off the ground.

The first class was inducted in 1990 and this past Saturday, the organization celebrated its 25th Anniversary at its latest induction banquet.It all started with meetings held at the St. Joe's Club in town.The initial officers of the club were Jack Kmetz (president), Drew Benyo (vice president), Harold Hydro (secretary) and George Armbruster (treasurer).The late Joe Boyle, who was instrumental in having the borough's name changed from Mauch Chunk to Jim Thorpe, was the driving force behind the formation of the organization.Members of the By-Laws committee were Kmetz, Keith Pry, Angie Konstas, Lou Mueller, Dr. Richard Kelowitz and Dr. Clem McGinley."We had meetings once a month before we inducted the first class," said Don Herman, who was one of the former Jim Thorpe coaches, along with AD Vic Pituch, Randy Rabenold, Dave Malkin and Jeff James. "We knew Jim Thorpe was going to be the first athlete to be inducted. "Then there was Joe Boyle who did so much for so many places in town was a shoe-in"Other inductees of the first class were Harvey Hiller and the 1962 Jim Thorpe High Class C State Championship Basketball team.Herman, Kmetz and Rabenold are three of the original members that have been with the organization since it started.Over the years, guys like Jim Zurn, Wilmer Redline, Craig Zurn, Ron Sheehan, Charles Getz, and David Zurn have been a crucial part of the Hall of Fame committee seeing it hit the 25 year mark.Appreciation plaques were presented to Jim Zurn, Herman, and Redline at this year's banquet, while Craig Zurn, Sheehan, Getz and David Zurn were honorary inductees.Back in 1996, the group had a membership of just 90 people. By 2011, the membership had grown to over 1,000.Thanks to the increasing membership and a number of fundraising activities, the group has been able to do a number of various things.Since 1998, it has given out over $17,000 in scholarship money to deserving students in Jim Thorpe High School.In 2000, it sponsored the "Athlete of the Century" parade and a one-day festival that cost over $25,000.In 2001, it began an extensive letter-writing program tp get Jim Thorpe's picture on the "Wheaties" box. The Wheaties box unveiling took place in Jim Thorpe High Stadium on Nov. 20 of that year with then-Governor Mark Schweiker doing the unveiling.The following year, the Hall of Fame committee donated $2,000 to the Jim Thorpe Booster Club.In 2003, it donated $1,500 to the Jim Thorpe Little League to purchase a pitching machine.The 50th Anniversary Parade and one-day festival that cost over $25,000 was sponsored by the club in 2004.In 2005, it donated $1,000 to the Jim Thorpe High School Weightlifting team.In 2007, it donated to the borough a $50,000 life-sized bronze statue of Jim Thorpe in a football pose that was put at the site of the mausoleum, where Thorpe's body was laid to rest.Four years later, the Hall of Fame dontated a second life-size statue of Jim Thorpe throwing the discus that was installed at the mausoleum at a cost of $60,000.And back in May of this year, it gave the Jim Thorpe Borough a check for $7,820 as its donation for the Community fundraising towards the Appeals Court for the ongoing Jim Thorpe Law Suit, to keep his body in the borough.Chuck Hanna was Masters of Ceremonies for this year's fete, wile Larry Morris III was the guest speaker. Senator John Yudichak made presentations to all inductees, Father Jim Bechtel said the Invocation and Janet Farra offered musical selections.