RUSTON - Louisiana Tech announced today its plans to induct Leon Barmore, Debbie Nichols Hedrick, Jerry Lovett, William Marbury, Willie Roaf and Charles J. Wyly, Jr. into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 8th.

The induction ceremony, which will take place in conjunction with the Bulldogs home football game against SMU, is open to the public and is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Hall of Fame Room located in the Thomas Assembly Center on the Louisiana Tech campus.

The event will mark the first inductions into the Tech Hall of Fame since 1998, and the addition of these six individuals brings the total number of Tech Hall of Famers to 68.

Barmore, who retired in August of 2002 after a 20-year career as the Lady Techster head coach, left the women's game as the winningest coach in the history of collegiate basketball. The Ruston, La., native, who lettered for the Bulldogs from 1965 through 1967, built the Lady Techsters into one of the top programs in the country in the late 1970s and early 80s and found way to maintain that level of excellence into the 21st century. Barmore led Tech to 20 straight NCAA Tournaments, nine Final Fours, five national championship game appearances and the 1988 national title.

The honor will be the third Hall of Fame induction for Barmore this year after he was enshrined in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in April and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September.

Hedrick, who is currently the head softball coach at Texas-Arlington, earns her induction for her dominance on the mound for the nationally-ranked Lady Techster softball team in the late 1980s. During her four-year career (1987-90), Hedrick, who was Debbie Nichols at the time, became only the second female athlete at Louisiana Tech to ever obtain first team All-American honors three straight years.

The Mesquite, Texas, native still holds numerous school and NCAA records, including the most career starts (193), most career complete games (182) and most shutouts in a season (36) in 1988. Hedrick ranks No. 3 in NCAA history in career games (198) No. 2 in career innings pitched (1,373), No. 2 in career victories (149) and No. 2 in career shutouts (84). She also helped lead the Lady Techsters to three NCAA Regionals and a top 20 ranking every year.

Lovett lettered for the Bulldog basketball team from 1948 through 1952, helping lead Louisiana Tech to winning seasons his final three years. The Indiana native earned a scholarship for the Bulldogs coming out of Middletown High School and made an instant impact on head coach Cecil Crowley's squad.

While earning All-Gulf State Conference honors as a junior and senior, Lovett set numerous scoring records during his playing career, including most points in a game and most points in a career (1,083). Lovett averaged over 16 points a game as a junior and over 17.5 points a game as a senior. Lovett, who went on to coach at Calhoun High School for 31 years, also earned all-conference honors as a pitcher for the Bulldog baseball team in 1953.

Marbury, a 1936 Louisiana Tech graduate, is one of the state's most successful businessmen and one of the university's greatest benefactors, both academically and athletically. The former president of both Homer National Bank and Ruston State Bank and Trust Company, established Bankers Life of Louisiana as well as founded the Marbury Companies, which he is currently president.

Marbury was one of the organizers of the Louisiana Tech Foundation, which he is a Privileged Director of today, and in 1996, Marbury and his wife Virginia donated the funds to double the size of the Louisiana Tech Marbury Alumni Center, which is named in honor of his family. The Marbury's also donated the statue of George Madden Lomax, which today's sits in the courtyard between Aswell and Adams Halls, in honor of the gentleman who was responsible for the legislation which led to the founding of Louisiana Tech University.

The 1976 Louisiana Tech Alumnus of the Year was also inducted to the institution's Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 1995 while also receiving the honorary Doctor of Laws from the university in 1987.

Roaf graduated from Louisiana Tech after a stellar career as arguably the greatest offensive lineman to ever don a Bulldog uniform. The Pine Bluff, Ark., native, who was not highly recruited out of high school, came to Louisiana Tech with an endless work ethic and became one of the most decorated players in the history of the program.

A finalist for the Outland Trophy as a senior, the All-American was the eighth overall selection in the 1993 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints and quickly became the most dominating tackle in the league. After a nine-year career in New Orleans where Roaf started 131 games and participated in seven straight Pro Bowls, the 6-foot-5-inch, 320-pounder signed with the Kansas City Chiefs where he is still starting today.

Roaf's financial generosity to his alma mater also helped in refurbishing the Willie Roaf Locker Room located at Joe Aillet Fieldhouse.

Wyly, a former Bulldog football player has been a generous benefactor of Louisiana Tech since his graduation in 1956. He was among the earliest pacesetters of the University Foundation through his gift of matching funds for alumni contributions, thereby establishing Wyly Scholarships.

In addition to providing significant funding for the construction of Wyly Tower, named in honor of his father, Wyly's generosity also helped establish the F. Jay Taylor Eminent Scholar Chair in journalism and the Robert C. Snyder Endowed Professorship in English.

The Dallas, Texas, businessman's most recent contribution to his alma mater was his donation of $1.2 million for the construction of the Charles J. Wyly Athletic Center which opened in June of 2001. The complex houses a new state of the art athletic training facility, luxury coaches offices, banquet room, meeting rooms and a beautiful Louisiana Tech memorabilia area.