Jim Hartbarger

Hartbarger graduated in 1959. He played tennis as well as football. As a football player, he set several school records and was named to the All Conference Team.

He played baseball through high school and for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in Brunswick, GA and Clinton, IA. He was also the youngest player ever for te Waynesboro Generals of the valley league in Virginia. He later went on to coach basketball at Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton, VA from 1961 - 1964. His record of 61-13 won him Coach of the Year honors and saw his team advance to the state finals. At Ferrum Junior College, his team's record was 75-14. For three straight years, they were conference champions, and they saw 27 straight conference wins, 33 straight home wins and 3 national tournaments. He saw Coach of the Year honors there, as well as at Western Carolina University, where he has been elected to membership in their Hall of Fame.

Hartbarger is very active in his community, and has served on the boards of the First Union Bank as Char, Southerstern Community College, the Western Carolina Catamount Club, and the New Century Scholars Program, a program established in NC to provided scholarships to students who might not otherwise be able to attend college. HE was the first sponsor of this program, which currently serves 400 students.