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Point University adopted its name in 2011 after formerly being known as Atlanta Christian College. The university then moved to West Point in 2012. Today, Point and its administration are still looking for ways to honor the ones who came before them as well as their surrounding community. 

Point University’s athletic department is now set to induct its first Hall of Fame class as a way to honor the athletes, coaches and administrators that have come through Atlanta Christian College and Point’s athletic program. 

“There isn’t one,” vice president of intercollegiate athletics Jaunelle White said about a hall of fame at Point. “Finding a way to really merge the two and making sure that we honor the ones that came before us and give the Atlanta Christian folks an opportunity to be acknowledged for all their achievements. No better way to do it than a hall of fame.” 

All athletes and coaches and administrators from Point and Atlanta Christian College are eligible for nomination, as long as they are at least five years removed from their time at the college. 

The nomination forms are open to the public, Point staff and alumni. Nominations close on Feb. 12. The induction ceremony will take place in April at a date yet to be determined. 

The nomination form can be found on Point’s athletic website. The nomination form has the option for the public to list accomplishments, accolades and any other relevant information about the nomination. 

Then, White and Point sports information director Desean Bullock will review and do extra background research before all the nominations are presented to the Hall of Fame Committee. 

The committee is made up of Point administration and faculty members, members of the community and a board of trustee member who attended Atlanta Christian College. Bullock and White will help the committee, but they will not be a part of the voting process. 

“I wanted to make sure that it was a diverse group that had some of that older knowledge, some of the current knowledge, that have no knowledge at all, that are just looking at it with a different set of eyes,” White said. “It was important to me to have that type of committee formed.”  

Those inducted into the Hall of Fame will receive a plaque and be honored at the ceremony in April. The inductees will also have their names listed on Point’s Hall of Fame wall in the gym as well as their history, bio and accomplishments added to the video board. 

With it still being early in the process, there are several things that White and the athletic department have not completely nailed down. White is not yet sure how many will be inducted in the inaugural class as well as how many votes it takes for someone to be inducted. 

There is no limit to how many times a person can be nominated. In fact, multiple nominations for the same person will be taken into consideration and give the nominee an increased chance of being inducted. 

“We’ll take that into consideration,” White said. “Of course, making sure all the information aligns and is as accurate as possible, but we’ll definitely take that into consideration because that means that somebody is really pushing and vying for that person. That’s someone that we would need to take into consideration.” 

The athletics department has already received 37 nominations, with some of those possibly being the same person nominated more than once. It’s an exciting start for the process, and White hopes to keep seeing the nominations grow. 

“When it’s the first time and it’s something brand new, you don’t know how it’s going to go,” White said. “I’m excited about 37. It’s set to close on Feb. 12, and we could get some more. It could be people trying to compile as much information as they can before they get it submitted. If we get more, great.”

The “first” of anything is important, and with so much history being involved, White and the rest of the athletic department is making sure that they get the process right for the inaugural class. 

“It’s very important,” White said. “You never want someone to come back and say they missed that one. It can still happen, even though we don’t want that, it can still happen. It’s important to get it right the first time. It’s important to make sure that we vet appropriately. We may have to adjust some things as we go, and that’s just part of it because it is our first time.” 

Along with honoring great athletes from Point and Atlanta Christian, White hopes to also honor those from the community. The plan is for West Point High School and the city of West Point to have some of its own history displayed in Point’s Hall of Fame. 

“I thought it was a great way to collaborate and really just show them that we’re thankful for being a community partner,” White said.