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Harry Morgan Hoe
passed away in his home in Middlesboro, KY on Mon, May 9, 2011. He was born in Middlesboro on May 25, 1925, the only son of the late Ethel Morgan and Harry Allen Hoe. He graduated from the Kentucky Military Institute in 1943 after which he was drafted into the United States Army. He served his country honorably in WWII landing in Normandy, France during the D-Day invasion and fought with the 4th Infantry Division under Gen. Patton. He fought in five major European campaigns including the Battle of the Bulge and was decorated for his gallantry in action with the Silver Star and a Bronze Star with an Oak Leaf Cluster. He received the French Liberation Appreciation Medal later in his life.

After leaving the military Harry enrolled in the University of Tennessee, receiving a B.S. In Business in 1949. While at UT he met his life's love and partner Mary Bob Hale. They married in her family home in Morristown, TN in 1948 after which they settled into a lifelong residency in Middlesboro. Harry joined his family's business J. R. Hoe and Sons in 1949 and began an active community life. He began a lifetime affiliation with the First Baptist Church in Middlesboro where he served as Deacon, taught Sunday School and sang in the church choir. He joined the Kiwanis Club and served several terms as President. In 1954 he helped found the Middlesboro High School Key Club. He also began to serve on the Board of the local Salvation Army. In 1953 Harry was named one of three Outstanding Young Men of Kentucky.

In 1953 Harry organized Little League Baseball in Middlesboro and served as league president for the next 7 years. When the Middlesboro All-Star team won the 1954 state championship, it became the first racially-integrated Little League team to compete south of the Mason-Dixon line. He was a Director of the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival Board for over 50 years and twice served as President. Harry served as General Chairman for the dedication of the new Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in 1959, the largest celebration for a national park dedication up to that date. He helped recruit then Vice-President Richard Nixon to Middlesboro for the dedication and accompanied him during the ceremonies. The event was attended by all 6 senators from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Harry became active in Kentucky politics and was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives for three terms, serving from 1964 to 1969. He served as Minority Whip and later Assistant Minority Floor Leader for the Republican Party in the legislature. Later he served for 12 years on the Kentucky Republican State Central Committee and was inducted into the Republican 5th District Hall of Fame by Congressman Hal Rogers. For many years Harry was on the Board of Directors of the Kentuckians for Better Transportation serving as Chairman for one term. He was also on the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Kentucky. For 19 years he served on the Board of Directors for Kentucky Utilities. Upon his retirement from the board, Kentucky Utilities made a $100,000 contribution to the Clear Creek Baptist Bible College on his behalf. In later life Harry focused on his local community more.

He continued as a dedicated member of the Middlesboro Kiwanis Club, was an active member for over 60 years, and attended the Kiwanis meeting on the week that he passed away. He was awarded the Outstand- ing Kiwanian Award and recently his local chapter established the Kiwanis Fund for Diabetes in his behalf. He remained active also in the local Salvation Army, serving as an Advisory Board member for over 50 years. In recent years he was awarded the William Booth Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Salvation Army. And foremost, Harry maintained his dedication and love for his church throughout his final days. He was a Deacon of the First Baptist Church for over 50 years, serving as Chairman for three terms. He taught Sunday School for 55 years and was a member of the church choir for 60 years. At all times during his long career his church was at the center of his life.

A big man with a big heart, strong convictions and a sharp wit, Harry will be long- remembered by his loving family and his many friends and acquaintances.

Published in Lexington Herald-Leader on May 11, 2011.

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In the summer of 1953, nine Middlesboro men, led by Harry Hoe, established the first integrated little league team in the south. To put this in historical context, America was still entrenched in Jim Crow, which would not be abolished until July of 1964.

Ron Schmidt, who spent some of his formative years in Middlesboro in the early 1960s, is making a film about this historical moment in Middlesboro’s and America’s history.

The film is titled “This Field Looks Green to Me” and follows the lives of three kids — Charlie, Jaybird and Sadie Mae as they grow up in Middlesboro and experience the trials and tribulations of the times, all the while finding a bit of hope in the future. Schmidt held a meeting at the Middlesboro Country Club on June 5 to attract local investors to the project.
The projected budget of the film of is $6 million and is looking to shoot in Middlesboro and Bowling Green. Schmidt stated that Major League Baseball (MLB) has read the script and the Louisville Slugger Museum has expressed interest in the project. The Topps Card company has also expressed interest in working with the film.

“What these men did is seen today as very historical. That’s one of the reasons for the movie…they weren’t making a social statement, they were making a human statement,” says Schmidt. “In the summer of 1954 this team shocked Lexington. Not only because they won the state championship that day, but because for the first time Lexington saw a team of black and white kids playing together.”

“Now think back to 1953, think about the kids in town, white and black. Think about what these eight men did for these kids. They gave the kids in town something to do, something to look forward to. These eight men gave these boys hope — a wish, an expectation, a plan and an ambition. These men instilled in these boys a trust and connection to their community.”
- taken from Middlesboro Daily News, June 06, 2017 in a column by Tyler Eschberger

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Originally posted by TigerDore:
Is Harry on the right or the left above?


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Originally posted by az4783054:
That's a good story. An officer I worked with was the founder of Make-A-Wish. They're making a movie about it. Both men will have legacies to be proud of.