08 LC 95
0909
Senate
Resolution 1238
By:
Senators Thomas of the 54th, Hill of the 4th, Staton of the 18th and Johnson of
the 1st
A
RESOLUTION
Recognizing
and commending Chester Webb; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
Chester Webb is the first native Georgian to be named a Basketball All American;
he was a first-team choice of the Helms Athletic Foundation National Association
of Intercollegiate Athletics All American Basketball Team in 1955 and was also
named All American in 1956; and
WHEREAS,
he began his basketball career in high school in the early 1950s where he was a
superlative player, receiving scholarship offers from the University of Georgia
and Clemson University before accepting a full scholarship to Georgia Teachers
College, now known as Georgia Southern University (GSU); and
WHEREAS,
he set Georgia basketball records that still stand after 50 years, including
establishing a new, all-time scoring record in Georgia with a total of 2,542
points and collecting a record 1,685 rebounds, both in 106 games; he was the
first freshman to be selected to the Atlanta Constitution's All-State College
basketball team and was first string with players from the University of Georgia
and Georgia Tech; and
WHEREAS,
he was the first man to be named to the Atlanta Constitution's All-State College
basketball team four years in a row, from 1952-1956; his career averages of 24
points per game and 15.9 rebounds per game are the best in GSU basketball
history; he was the leading scorer on three GSU teams; his season point-per-game
averages in 1954-55 and 1955-56 are the two highest season averages in GSU
history; he scored 40 plus points nine times and 30 plus points 15 times over
his college career; he made 21 consecutive free throws in one game and extended
the total to 31 straight in the next game; he holds the top ten individual game
scoring performances in GSU basketball history; and he helped set up GSU's
record for the most assists during one season, 614 in 1955-1956;
and
WHEREAS,
after college, his skills were in great demand, and he was drafted by the
Syracuse Nationals in the NBA in 1956 and received an invitation to try out for
the 1956 United States Olympics, but the military determined his fate, drafting
him into the United States army where he played basketball, being named to the
All-Army men's basketball team; and
WHEREAS,
upon completing his military service, he began a career in public school
education as a high school basketball coach for 11 years, five in Appling
County, Georgia, where he took two teams to state playoffs, and six in his
hometown of Elberton, Georgia, and he also served as a woodworking instructor at
Elbert County High School, in school administration and supervision, as
principal of two elementary schools, director of two county-wide programs, and
as Assistant Superintendent of Elbert County Schools for eight years;
and
WHEREAS,
Chester is a loving husband to his wife, Carol, and a devoted father to his son
and daughter, and he is an avid hunter, fisherman, golfer, gardener, and chef;
and
WHEREAS,
the first native Georgian to be named a Basketball All American deserves to be
inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame as Georgia's most outstanding
basketball player in the 1950s.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body join
together to recognize and commend Chester Webb for his outstanding contributions
to athletics, his community, and this state.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is hereby authorized and
directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Chester Webb.