| William O. "Bill" Whetsell, a native of Kingwood and longtime fixture on the athletic scene at Marietta College, was a four year letterman in football and basketball at GSC, earning WVICA ALL Conference honors in both sports. He played at Glenville for three years, served in the Air Force during WWII, came back to GSC as a player/coach, graduated in 1946, and received his master's degree from West Virginia University.Whetsell was hired at Marietta College in 1947 and earned Ohio's prestigious Coach of the Year honors in 1954 at the age of 36 when he turned out the most successful basketball team in Marietta's 52-year history with the Marietta Pioneers posting a 21-1 record for the 1953-54 season. Bill was a member of the Marietta College faculty but he was perhaps best known for his highly successful basketball teams where he compiled a 148-115 record on the hardwood between 1947-1960. In addition to being basketball coach and fulfilling teaching responsibilities, Whetsell coached football, baseball, cross country, and golf at various points during his career at Marietta. He was named athletic director and golf coach for Marietta College in 1959, a position he held for 10 years before becoming head of the college's physical education department and director of its intramural program. Bill was very active in his community where he was a member of American Legion Post 64; B.P.O. Elks 477; Marietta Kiwanis Club; American Union 1, F & AM; Scottish Rite; and Royal Order of Jesters, Court 156, Parkersburg. Additionally he was an ambassador and member of Aladdin Temple and past president of Marietta Shrine Club in 1975. Whetsell was a retired sports official, honorary member of the Ohio-West Virginia Officials Association, and a founder and life member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. A veteran of World War II, Whetsell, a lieutenant, was a B24 pilot with the 8th Air Force in England. He retired from the US Air Force Reserves as a major and had served as an associate liaison officer for the U.S. Air Force Academy. Bill and his wife, Pauline Burke Whetsell, also deceased, had four children: William "Bill" (Sharon) Whetsell, Jr. of Loudon, TN; Robert "Bob" (Samantha) Whetsell of Duluth, GA; Linda (Bill) Driver of Arlington, VA; and Pam (Tom) Stephanik of Marietta, OH; 13 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.The renowned Marietta coach retired in 1988 and even in death is remembered as one of the giants of Marietta College athletics. Whetsell, who died January 5, 1994 at the age of 76, was a member of the Ohio/WV Officials Association for Football and Basketball. He was inducted into the Marietta College Hall of Fame in 1988 and into the Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. |
