Victor W. (Vic) Callahan
Inducted 1988
He was recognized as one of Georgia’s outstanding basketball players in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s
He lettered for some of Coach Jake Lankford’s best boys teams at Waresboro during the 1929 -1932 seasons. He captained the teams for three years, was named to the all district team for three straight years and all-state selection one year. He was voted most valuable player in the Ware County tournament one year. The Waresboro boys won district championships in 1931 and 1932. They were state all-classification tournament runners-up in 1932, losing by four points in the finals.
After graduating from Waresboro, he played semi-pro basketball with the YMCA “Red Flashes” and declined a scholarship offer from the University of Georgia in favor of the ministry.
He earned a degree from Holmes Theological Seminary and later a B.A. from Atlantic Christian College at Wilson, N.C. From 1932 through 1953, he pastured churches in North Carolina and served as a church conference officer for five years while serving as a board member for Emanuel College in Franklin, Georgia.
During the period 1953-1960, he served as pastor of First Pentecostal (now Bible Heritage) Church in Waycross, while teaching and coaching at Wacona High School and Ware County High School.
From 1960-1971, he pastured churches and taught school in Jacksonville.
He and Mrs. Callahan, the former Elease Taylor, had three sons: Norman, a standout at Wacona High; Melton, an outstanding football performer at Waycross High School. Melton attended the University of Florida on a grant-in-aid and is also a member of the Waycross-Ware County Sports Hall of Fame. His other son Danny is employed by the Duval (Fla.) County Board of Education. He also has step-children: Mrs. Ann Casto, Ocilla, Carl Mercer, Douglas and Pete Mercer, Kingsland. Victor retired and made his home in Waycross