Richland County Hall of Fame debuts with 23-member charter class

MANSFIELD — “Prince” Charles Williams entered the Richland County Hall of Fame charter class in the sports category, capping a career that put Mansfield on the global boxing map.

Sherrod Brown made it in the government class, joining the legendary John Sherman, both shining a light on the community through the electorate.

The Richland County Hall of Fame inducted its charter class Saturday evening at Kingwood Center Gardens. Committee Chairman Dick Baker said the Hall of Fame was established in 2015 as a non-profit organization and he spent months building a board.

“Most hall of fames are one category, this one has nine categories,” Baker said. “I have yet to find a hall of fame like this.”

Baker said the committee spent years creating bylaws before COVID halted plans. The group worked about seven years on the project and formed a new committee in 2023 with Baker, Source Media Properties managing editor Larry Phillips, Brenda Wilson, Bob Jones and Bailey DeWitt.

“The purpose of the organization is to honor individuals who have made significant achievements in their chosen field,” Baker said. “And to bring recognition to our communities, county, state and country.”

A champion’s impact

Williams built his path from a local amateur start at age 16 all the way to a world title.

He began boxing at Mansfield’s Friendly House and rose to hold the IBF light heavyweight world championship from 1987 to 1993. The Mansfield Senior product retired in 1996 with 28 knockouts and stands among Richland County’s most celebrated athletes.

In 2021, officials renamed a section of Harker Street in his honor. The tribute recognized a champion who never forgot his Mansfield roots.

Williams turned pro in 1979 at age 16 and waited 13 years before he earned a shot at the championship.

He highlighted his focus on helping young people and giving them opportunities.

“I thank God. He gave me power to make it in my career and come out healthy,” he said. “I have my right mind, I’m in good health and still able to help the young kids here in town.”

Phillips, a Richland County Hall of Fame committee member, noted a personal story he had about Williams.

Phillips said he arrived in town while Williams held the world title and covered one of his fights in West Virginia for the News Journal in 1991. He called Williams’ opponent, Freddie Delgado of Puerto Rico, and published Delgado’s prediction of a KO.

“In that interview Freddie said he was going to knockout Charles, so I published it,” Phillips said. “I got a phone call from Charles that week, who was not happy seeing such a thing in his hometown newspaper.”

Williams knocked out Delgado in the second round (see that fight in its entirety at this link).

“I wish we could have gotten a fight here in Mansfield, so the community would have had a chance to see him in person — he was spectacular,” he said.

“Charles had the heart of a champion,” Phillips said. “I’ve never seen an athlete with more innate courage than Charles Williams.”

Hall of Fame takes shape

“Everybody who is being inducted tonight should take it as a great honor,” Phillips said. “If you’re in the charter class from this community, that’s saying something special.”

Sherrod Brown, inducted in the government category, attended and shared a story that guides his work.

“Whenever I did anything in politics, whether it was legislature, I tried to envision somebody I had met whose life would be changed by it,” Brown said.

He described meeting a 73-year-old woman near the Ohio River who drove a school bus for 40 years in a rural district, transporting disabled children 200 miles each day. He said she built strong relationships with the children and their families.

Brown said she retired with a small pension of $300 a month after her husband died.

“After I lost in 2024, I wasn’t going to give up,” he said. “I was in office for another eight weeks and pushed this bill called the Social Security Fairness Act, that I knew would help my new friend.”

He said the bipartisan bill passed and broke the filibuster, and he called her in February after the law took effect.

“She told me her security went from $300 per month to $1,900 per month,” he said. “That means she doesn’t have to cut her bills in half, she can take her grandkids to McDonald’s and can have a decent standard of living.”

“Everybody in this room cares about service,” Brown said. “I’m grateful for this award – thanks for having me home and doing this.”

2026 Richland County Hall of Fame charter class

The charter class encompassed 23 members across multiple categories. Inductees include J.C. Gorman and Herb Rupp, who co-founded Gorman-Rupp, and Frend Boals, who conceived the idea for Safety Town, among others in the class.

One inductee, Doug Theaker, said he will continue to serve the community until “the guy upstairs says it’s over.”

“In 1954, I graduated, and was voted by the faculty most likely to not succeed,” Theaker added. “I guess I showed those people didn’t I?”