Alden, in his 17th year as Mizzou's director of athletics, is one of 13 individuals who will be inducted, and he's joined in the class by former Tiger standout football player Andy Russell, the Farmer Family, and the 1969 MU Football Team as Mizzou representatives this year.
Enshrinement Ceremonies will begin at 11:00 a.m. on January 25th with a reception at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and will be followed with a reception at the University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center at 4:00 p.m. with the banquet immediately following.
Tickets for the Enshrinement are $150 each and reserved tables of 10 are $1,500. Tickets are on sale now and are limited, so reserve your seat today. All proceeds benefit the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. For additional information, please call Coleman Swierc at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at 417-889-3100 or by logging on at www.mosportshalloffame.com.
Here are Mizzou representatives being honored by the Hall of Fame:
Mike Alden – Athletic Director, University of Missouri
The Director of Athletics at Mizzou since 1998, Alden has led the school through the most successful advancements across the athletic department in history. He led the transition of the school into the SEC in 2012 and has grown the department's operating budget from $13.7 million at the time of his arrival, to a record $85 million and has added state-of-the art facilities and amenities at nearly every venue in the Sports Park at Mizzou. Overall, Alden has helped lead a record $233.2 million in facility developments and improvements for MU athletics since his arrival. He is the 2nd-longest tenured AD in Mizzou history and has seen at least one conference championship in football, men's basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, baseball and wrestling, including three league titles last season alone.
Andy Russell – Football, Pittsburgh Steelers
A native of St. Louis and a graduate of Mizzou, Russell was selected by the Steelers in the 16th round of the 1963 NFL Draft. He played his entire 12 year career with Pittsburgh and was a seven time Pro-Bowl selection. He was captain of the Steelers for 10 seasons, a team record. He helped anchor the defense to two Super Bowl championships and was named the Steelers MVP in 1971. A member of the legendary “Steel Curtain” defense, he set a then NFL playoff record for a returned touchdown—93 yards in a Three Rivers Stadium victory over the Baltimore Colts. He was named to the Steelers 75th anniversary All-Time Team in 2007. Russell also earned his MBA at the University of Missouri after returning from Germany where he was an Army Lieutenant in 1964 & 1965 and won the MOP (Most Outstanding Player) in Army Division level football. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame, the University of Missouri Hall of Fame and never missed a game during his 186 game career that spanned high school, college, military and NFL. Andy is currently a managing partner of Laurel Mountain Partners and an investor in Liberty Waste Tire, companies located in Pittsburgh, PA. He is the founder and former chairman of Russell, Rea and Zappala, an investment banking firm.
The Farmer Family – Multiple Athletic Accomplishments, Jefferson City
Natives of Jefferson City and one of the great families to represent the state, the legacy began with Elliot Farmer, who was a standout athlete himself. His son, Mike, was a quarterback/punter for Dan Devine in 1970 and 1971 at Mizzou and Mike's son, Kirk, was also a quarterback at Mizzou, from 1999 to 2002 and led the team in passing in 2001 with nearly 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was twice named to the Big-12 1st Team All-Academic team. Leslie Farmer, the daughter of Elliot “Bud” Farmer, is the cousin of Kirk and the niece of Mike and is one of the greatest track and field athletes Mizzou has ever seen. She was a seven time All-Big 12 Selection and is the school record holder in the 400 metand ter hurdles, while qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the same event. Bud's son, Elliot, was a standout football player in high school, before an automobile accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Bud and Mike's sister, Margie, an accomplished golfer, married Missouri Sports Hall of Famer Keith Weber and their daughters, Leslie and Tricia both lettered in tennis at Duke University.
1969 Missouri Tigers Football Team
Considered one of, if not, the greatest teams that that Mizzou has ever produced. The '69 Tigers finished the regular season 9-1, the only setback coming in 31-24 loss at Colorado. The team recorded wins over three top-20 teams that year and beat rival Kansas 69-21 in the annual 'Border War.' In that game, Terry McMillian broke the Big Eight single-season touchdown pass record of 16 and the single-game school record (5) of Paul Christman. The team finished 6-1 in the Big 8, earning a co-conference championship with Nebraska, although the Tigers had beaten Nebraska 17-7. The team would lose their final game of the year, 10-3 in the Orange Bowl, to 2nd ranked Penn State. The team finished the year ranked #6 in both the AP and coaches polls.