Jim Maehrer graduated from Jim Thorpe High School in 1958 and from early in his life, he excelled in football, basketball and baseball. Under the guidance of his father and mentor, 1995 Jim Thorpe Area Hall of Fame inductee, Ossie Maehrer, Jim left a lasting mark on the Jim Thorpe athletic community.

Maehrer was not only a well-rounded individual athlete but also was a true team player who promoted team spirit, harmony and a sense of fair play. In his senior year, 1958, Maehrer was presented with the prestigious Babe Ruth Award that recognized his "spirit of sportsmanship and fair play".His success began before high school when he was named MVP of the Mauch Chunk Little League Baseball team in 1951 and 1952 and then led the junior varsity basketball team in scoring in 1955-56 with a total of 315 points scored.In 1956-57, he was a member of the historic District 11 Class C basketball championship team at Jim Thorpe and was inducted into the Jim Thorpe Hall of Fame as a member of that team in 2006.As a senior in high school, Maehrer was the first graduate of Jim Thorpe to receive eight varsity athletic letters (three in football, three in baseball and two in basketball). He received two Jim Thorpe Sweater Awards in 1958; one from the school's athletic program and the other for being the valedictorian of his Class of 1958.He also was awarded the Baush-Lomb Science Award for three years of superiority in biology, chemistry and physics and was presented with the Citizenship Award by the Jim Thorpe Chamber of Commerce.After graduating with a degree in mineral engineering from Penn State University in 1962, Jim worked for Western Electric/Lucent Technologies in Allentown until his retirement in 1997. He is now very active as a community volunteer with youth in his church, as a Boy Scout leader, and as a volunteer in the pharmacy at the Lehigh Valley Health Network. He was also instrumental in the planning and development of youth baseball and basketball in western Salisbury.He has been married to Rosalie Maehrer for 55 years. They had three sons, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.In the past decade, Jim has served as an assistant coach to his son, attorney Karl Maehrer, with both the Northwestern Lehigh boys and Allentown Cemtral Catholic girls soccer teams. He has also coached the Special Olympics A-League soccer team.The 27th annual Jim Thorpe Area Sports Hall Of Fame banquet will be held at the Jim Thorpe Memorial Hall on Saturday, Aug. 20.A cocktail hour will begin at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., and the induction ceremony at 7:15 p.m. Entertainment will begin at the conclusion of the induction ceremony which will be at approximately 8:30 p.m. The cost will be $35 per person and includes dinner, selected drinks and entertainment.Along with the Jim Thorpe 4x100 girls' relay, Matt Long, Julie Romanisko and Maehrer, the Times News will also publish the accomplishments of the remaining inductee - the 2006 Jim Thorpe tennis team - before the induction banquet.Tickets can be obtained by calling Jack Kmetz at 570-325-4923 or Wilmer Redline at 570-325-3073.