The 2025 Mercer County Hall of Fame Banquet will be held at Avalon at Buhl in Hermitage on Saturday, January 18th at 6:30PM
The 2025 Mercer County Hall of Fame Banquet will be held at Avalon at Buhl in Hermitage on Saturday, January 18th at 6:30PM
The Mercer County Hall of Fame Athletic Association is dedicated to honoring and recognizing people who have excelled in athletics or who have contributed to the world of athletics in a manner of motivational leadership.
It is the successor organization to the Mercer County Old Timers Baseball and Athletic Association, which was founded as the Shenango Valley Oldtimers Baseball Association in 1947. Since its humble beginnings, the Hall has inducted over 450 Mercer County athletic greats and contributors in the last 66 years.
The Hall is the oldest local hall of fame in the world. In the last 10 years alone, in addition to its annual induction ceremony and dinner, the Hall has donated more than $60,000 to the Mercer County community.
A symbol of triumph, spirit and excellence, The Mercer County Hall of Fame icon was derived from the historical imagery of champions in sport.
The design features raised fists of athletes celebrating their own success, and reveling in the spirit of competition.
The laurel wreath symbolizes the link from past sports heroism to the present and future. Awarded to the first Olympians for recognition of their achievements, it was an original part of the Hall imagery, and is most appropriate given the Hall's unending mission.
Ingot Orange symbolizes Mercer County's steel producing origins. It also represents the community's strong resillience and optimism.
Mercer Black symbolizes the area's close ties to the coal industry. It also represents the strength and determination of the athlete.
Blazer Gold symbolizes the pinnacle of competitive excellence. Gold also represents the tradition and integrity of the Hall. It's also Lanny Frattare's favorite color.
Throughout the years, Erme Distributing has been the main sponsor of the Hall of Fame's annual Induction Ceremony. Mike Erme died in 1996, but his tradition of community service and his support of the Hall of Fame has been continued by his son, Mike. Both Mike and his late father are honorary members of the Hall of Fame.
Erme's presented the Hall with the gift of a specially-designed banner (below) by Tom Palko that now serves as the main backdrop behind the presentation stage at the annual banquet.
Type information about an inductee in the search box, including name, high school, induction year, and sport.
As you type, the inductees that meet this criteria will display.
You can then click on the displayed inductee's image to get a full bio of the inductee.
It's not a Place, but it is a Destination.
A final stop on a journey of courage, determination and excellence. A home for local heroes, those who have thrilled us with talent and guided us with wisdom. Those who have given time, effort, and energy, and above all, shown us a desire for life that transcends sport.
We Welcome Them.
Nominate your favorite Mercer County Athlete. Click on the button below to fill out our nomination form. You can also fill out a PDF application my clicking on that link in the nomination form page.
The Si Lyman Award, named in honor of the late Si Lyman, a veteran area sports editor and a past inductee of the Mercer County Hall of Fame, is given annually by the Hall of Fame's board of directors. It is awarded to the school district with the highest combined winning percentage for all sports. Click on the button below to see the list of past winners.
The Thomas W. Burns Academic All-Star Awards are presented annually by the Hall of Fame. They are awarded to the senior male and senior female athlete in each school district in Mercer County and Kennedy Catholic High School and the senior male athlete at the George Junior Republic with the highest academic standing. Click on the button below for past winners.
Please click on the button below to request tickets for
the Mercer County Hall of Fame induction ceremony and banquet.