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JOHN HEETLAND - INDUCTEE #64

hall of fame fast fact:

When John Heetland was inducted into the PSHOF in 1984, the longtime PSHOF chairman would have been more comfortable backstage. "I really never dreamed or even thought of the idea of being up here to receive this award," he said in his precise native Iowan accent. "I'm not going to thank the Hall of Fame committee, because I still don't believe I deserve this honor. I cast the only negative vote." But he did say, "I am very humble to be elected to the Hall of Fame."

John Heetland

One of the PSHOF founders, John Heetland started out as an athlete at the University of Iowa on a baseball scholarship. After a shoulder injury, he finished a broadcasting degree at Denver University.

In 1973, Heetland organized the first radio network to broadcast Amarillo football and basketball games. He worked at radio stations in Lamar, Colorado, Emporia, Kansas, and Fort Collins, Colorado, before landing at Amarillo’s KLYN.

Heetland was active in the Amarillo West Rotary Club, serving as president in 1974-75 and as Rotary district governor in 1999-2000.

He was a 1956 charter member of the Y’s Men Club, served as Y’s Men Club district governor in 1958-59, and was chairman of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce sports committee.

Heetland was a high school and college referee for 27 years, a high school and college basketball official for 15 years, and a YMCA baseball umpire for a decade.

John Heetland died in 2001.