Millinocket Native Inducted into Sports Hall of Fame

BANGOR -- Charles “Gus” Folsom, who began his athletic career at Stearns High School in Millinocket, was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame Sunday night.

The induction ceremonies were held at the Bangor Inn and Convention Center.

As a 1st baseman and pitcher, Folsom hit .429 as a senior at Stearns.

After graduating from Stearns, Folsom attended the University of Maine, where he also excelled in sports.

He coached the University of Maine basketball team during his senior year

From 1961 to 1976, Folsom coached the Lawrence High School boys basketball team. After a few years of retirement, he came back and coached the Lawrence girls team during the early 1980s. Combined, his record was 248-156.

When he first began his coaching career at Lawrence in 1961, he took over a team that had gone 0-18 the previous season; yet in his first season, the Lawrence Bulldogs’ record had improved to 9-10. In 1963, the team made its first Eastern Maine Class A tournament appearance. In 1966, they won their first tournament game. In 1974, they won their first title, repeating that performance two years later, defeating Stearns High School in the process.

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In 1985, Lawrence High School named its gym after Folsom.

Charles Folsom was among eight inducted into the Hall of Fame Sunday. Others include Fred Brice and Shawn Walsh, who were inducted posthumously, Ordman Alley, Wayne Champeon, Phil Emery, John Scott, and Thaxter Traxton.

Other honors given out during the ceremony included an outstanding achievement award to Rev. John Civiello, a Millinocket native.

Approximately 300 people were in attendance.

Saturday, June 19, is Maine Baseball Hall of Fame Day at Hadlock Field in Portland, where the 2003 nominees will be introduced before the Sea Dogs game, the Hall of Fame banquet to be held the following day, at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.

Among those to be inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame is baseball indexer and Millinocket resident, Bob Boynton.

-- Ken Anderson 06/19/03