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For release: December 7, 2021
Contact: Tony Ciuffo 843/819-1139
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Ephraim Ulmer, who guided the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame for more than 25 years and led it to unprecedented heights, has announced his retirement from the position that was created for him.
Ulmer coordinated all efforts of the SCAHOF, including the annual Induction Ceremony & Banquet that has drawn more than 800+ fans from across the region. The group honors new inductees, presents annual awards and recognizes past honorees.
“Ephraim Ulmer is a man of many talents who is the personification of the word ‘honorable,’” said SCAHOF President Dennis Powell of Columbia. “He is a gentleman who inspires others to be the best. He will always be the ‘Godfather of the SCHOF,’ but most importantly our friend.”
“I am appreciative of the opportunity to have served the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame,” Ulmer said. “I look forward to seeing the organization prosper and flourish in the future.”
A native of Allendale and a 1969 graduate of The Citadel, Ulmer served as the SCAHOF’s president in 1996 and later assumed the role of executive director in a voluntary role. He also graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law and enjoyed a career in wealth management.
For effectively leading the organization for so long, he was surprised with the presentation of the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor during the 2017 event.
The Executive Committee, headed by Powell, has appointed Andy Solomon to replace Ulmer. Solomon served as the SCAHOF’s president in 2010 and has been acting as co-executive director with Ulmer since 2018.
Solomon is a 1977 graduate of the College of Charleston and earned his master’s degree from Winthrop. He has worked for more than 40 years in athletic administrative positions at College of Charleston, Baptist College [Charleston Southern], Winthrop, Limestone and his final 27 years at The Citadel. He is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame and the Winthrop Athletic Hall of Fame.
“Andy is a leader who is a master of all responsibilities because of his courage to perform the task,” said Powell. “Courage is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.”
“I’m thrilled to continue my relationship with the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, an organization that forever honors our state’s athletic legacies,” said Solomon. “We are appreciative of what Ephraim accomplished through his special style of leadership.”
The South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame began in the 1950s, reinvigorated in the early 1970s by a group led by Clemson coach Frank Howard and has since enshrined 341 Palmetto State legends. Ulmer and the group were preparing for its 60th annual ceremony and banquet and enshrining the Class of 2020 when Covid struck.
Still referred to as the Class of 2020, the list of inductees includes Clemson running back C.J. Spiller, USC quarterback Todd Ellis, Limestone coach and MLB Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry, Hilton Head infielder Dan Driessen, USC pitcher and MLB executive Ed Lynch, SC State basketball scorer Roberta Williams, and Columbia & Florida State defensive end Peter Boulware
The event is slated for May 23 at the Columbia Convention Center. For forthcoming information on attending, please refer to www.scahof.com.
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