CLEVELAND, OH – Former South Carolina State athletics director, Dr. Willis C. Ham -- the first full-time AD at the university -- is among eight athletics administrators to be inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall Fame during the group’s 43rd Annual Convention in Dallas Jun. 10.

Also in the 2008 Class are former athletics directors Frank Broyles of Arkansas, Jake Crouthamel of Syracuse, Joe Etzel of Portland, Christine Grant of Iowa, Ted Leland of Stanford, William Moore of Central Connecticut State, and Ron Warnock of De Anza College.

Ham and the other inductees will receive their awards during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas.

In 1980, Ham was named the first full-time director of athletics at SC State, a position that he held for 10 years. While at the helm of the athletics department, Ham guided the Bulldogs to unprecedented success. SC State captured five national titles, 43 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and made two post season appearances under Ham. The Bulldogs also garnered 20 Coach of the Year honors, produced over 40 All-Americans and had more than 20 student-athletes to sign professional contracts.

A former letterman in football and baseball at SC State, Ham spent two seasons as an assistant football coach and director of counseling and career planning at Fayetteville State before returning to his alma mater in 1970 to serve his first tenure at the institution as director of student activities.

In 1998, Ham was named to the SCSU Athletics Hall of Fame, and in November of 2007, was honored as a member of the university's Centennial Football Team (1907-2007).

Ham earned both his bachelor's (1969) and master's (1973) at South Carolina State, and his doctorate from Florida State (1975).

Today, the North Charleston native and Bonds Wilson High graduate, is the owner of Professional Success Services, a company whose specialty is designing customized speeches and training activities to improve delivery potential of individuals and groups within their organization's structure.

Ham and wife, Dorothy, are the parents of two sons – Clinton and Brian.