Fred Aldridge
Longtime basketball coach defined by early struggles
Photos and content are courtesy of The Charleston Gazette
Photos and content are courtesy of The Charleston Gazette
In the family room of his home in Kenna, surrounded by memorabilia chronicling his career as a coach and teacher, Fred Aldridge holds the basketball that won his George Washington High School team the 1971 state championship, GW’s only state basketball title.
The original famous photo of Aldridge confronting officials hangs in his family room, a gift from the George Washington High School student body when he left there to go into administration. Taken by former Daily Mail photographer Bill Tiernan, the photo didn’t run in the Charleston paper, but the National Enquirer published it along with papers in 48 states. The picture won a national award for sports photography.
This snapshot shows Fred Aldridge (right) with his older brother, Darrell, a polio victim. As a 4-year-old, Aldridge accompanied his 6-year-old brother to school to help him walk.
In 1960, at age 16, Aldridge graduated from Mullens High School. He went on to graduate from Morris Harvey College three years later.
More photos and content can be viewed in the original report at The Charleston Gazette >>