The concept for the Alma College Athletic Hall of Fame was an outgrowth of a series of three lettermen dinners held at various locations in the late 1960s to rekindle alumni enthusiasm and enlist support for the development of adequate athletic and recreational facilities. The initial Hall of Fame event was staged at the former Olds Plaza Hotel in Lansing on May 25, 1971.
Alma was the first Michigan college or university and one of the first in the nation to establish a Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame's purpose as originally stated was noble:
"It is the intent of the Alma College Hall of Fame to celebrate the past, present and future of Alma College through the recognition of excellence in those who have made significant contributions to the Scots' athletic tradition."
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Roger Frayer
Hall of Fame Athlete (2005)
Football, Baseball
Class of 1969
A member of Omicron Delta Kappa, the leadership honorary, and Lambda Iota Tau, the English honorary, he received numerous honors in 1969, including Outstanding College Athletes of America, Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and Wayne State University's All-Opponent Team. Finally, he was an NCAA Scholarship candidate in 1969.
On the field, Frayer was a four-year varsity letterwinner in football. He began his career at Alma as a quarterback then moved to defensive back following his sophomore year. A captain of the 1967 and 1968 Hall of Fame teams that won back-to-back MIAA Championships, he was an integral part of a 17-game winning streak and accepted the MIAA All-Sports Trophy on behalf of the College in 1968.
Frayer also enjoyed great success on the baseball diamond, earning his first varsity letter in 1968. He led the team that year with a batting average of .363 and was named captain and Team Most Valuable Player in 1969, receiving first team All-MIAA recognition as a senior.
Since leaving Alma College, Frayer worked for years in the Livonia Public Schools where he taught English and coached both football and baseball - for the first 10 years at Livonia Churchill High School. He had three undefeated seasons in football and won the 1974 State MHSAA Baseball Championship. From 1978 to 2000, served as the Director of Athletics at Livonia Stevenson High School.
He has was president of the Western Lakes Activities Association and of the Suburban Hockey Association, and participated in many committees including MHSAA Hockey, Soccer and Baseball Associations.
He has received many honors over the years for his achievements as an educator and coach including the MIAAA Life Membership Award, the ESPN-Susan Rozman Delia Award and the Detroit Tigers Service Award.
Now retired from Livonia Public Schools, Frayer and his wife Connie - the perfect coach's wife - vacation and travel extensively. The couple have three sons: Christopher Frayer, Sean O'Neil and Eric O'Neil.
"While at Alma College I learned so much that prepared me for life. I learned that I wanted a career in education and coaching... (and) that to be successful one must pay attention to the details. I also learned that to build a successful program a teacher-coach not only had to acquire skilled student-athletes, but also had to teach the basic fundamentals of the particular activity, instill a work ethic, implant discipline, educate the athlete, infuse sportsmanship, and impart the mentality to always do one's best." - Roger Frayer
