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able Player in 1959, averaging 20.8 points and 7.9 rebounds. He averaged 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for his career. Following his basketball career, Merriweather spent the remainder of his career as an educator in the Detroit public schools. He was honored as a "Teacher-of-the-Year" in Michigan in 1988 and retired as a principal. He now resides in Converse, Texas. Carol Mertler began her career at Purdue in 1975 as an assistant athletics director assigned to supervise the development of the women's varsity athletic program in its vital beginning stages. She also served as field hockey coach for the 1975 season and was promoted to associate athletics director in 1982, working largely to promote awareness and competition in women's athletics. She later returned to Ashland University, where she had coached volleyball, basketball and softball earlier in her career. During her second stint there, she was a full-time professor and received the Taylor Excellence in University Teaching Award in 2000. She retired in 2001 and returned to Mansfield, where she currently resides. Serene Ross was a four-year letterwinner in track and field from 1999-2002, winning the NCAA Championship in javelin in her senior year while also setting an American record (195-feet, 8-inches). She also was the 2002 USA National champion in the javelin, bettering her own American record by throwing 197-0. Ross finished fifth in the World Cup javelin competition in Madrid, Spain, in 2002. Her collegiate accolades included javelin All-American in 1999, 2001 and 2002; Big Ten javelin champion in 2002; hammer throw All-American in 2000; and hammer throw Big Ten champion in 2000. She was voted team Most Outstanding Performer in 2001 and 2002. Ross currently makes her home in Louisville. Joe Tiller spent 15 years of his coaching career at 68 • Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 Purdue, four as an assistant coach (1983-86) and 12 as head coach (1997-2008). As head coach, he set the school record with 87 victories. Tiller introduced Purdue to the spread offense, featuring multiple wide receivers and forcing defenses to cover the field from sideline to sideline. Tiller's 18-year head coaching record, including six seasons at the University of Wyoming, was 126-92-1, a .578 winning percentage. As you read on Pages 40-42, Tiller presently makes his home in Buffalo, Wyo. Dick Walbaum worked in the athletics department at Purdue from 1984-2001 as assistant athletics director and director of the John Purdue Club (1984-91), associate athletics director for marketing and development (199197) and senior associate athletics director (1997-2001). One of the behind-the-scenes icons of Purdue athletes, Walbaum spent a total of 35 years at Purdue, also serving as an administrator at the Recreational Gymnasium (1964-67) and Krannert (1968-84). A fine athlete, the Springfield, Ill., native competed in varsity track and field at Illinois. He died in 2009. Six of the nine inductees are expected to attend. Butkovich, Jamison and Walbaum are being honored posthumously and will be represented by family members. These Boilermaker greats will join the 126 former Boilermakers who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since 1994, when the selection process was initiated. New Hall of Fame classes are announced every 18 months with the 19th class due in the spring of 2015. Tickets for the September event will be available through the John Purdue Club and at the Athletics Ticket Office, 900 John R. Wooden Drive, beginning in August. j GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com