The 19th Class of The Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame will be formally honor Maulana Dotch, LPGA/PGA Teaching Professional, at their 19th annual Induction luncheon on Saturday, February 7, 2015, at the Dallas Music Hall (Crystal Terrace) in Dallas, Texas. African American Museum President/CEO Harry released the announcement.
Dotch, age 34, is a stunning 6 foot tall, diligent professional in her field and she has claimed inaugural status in several areas. She is the 1st African American woman in Texas and 2nd African American woman America to earn her Class A, PGA Membership. She has been in the golf business for over 10 years and has attained the level a certified LPGA Teaching Professional.
She was named an “Outstanding Leader in Golf” by the African American Golfer’s Digest in 2012 for her professional success and positive leadership in the golf industry. Working closely with the Girls Golf program of the USGA and the LPGA, she is widely known as a skilled training professional and has contributed articles and training tips to the African American Golfer’s Digest magazine and to PGA.com over the years.
When asked how this upcoming Hall of Fame induction makes her feel, she says, “I am truly honored. I feel like this is somebody else, and not me. I love golf and I love helping people. So, I don’t always think about my work this way. But the induction still has not yet really hit me. I have not done all of the things that I want to do, so this award is truly motivating to me.”
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Dotch has held a variety of positions from Assistant Professional, Teaching Professional, and Head Golf Professional. She is currently the Director of Instruction at Cedar Crest Golf Course. She held her Maulan Dotch Ladies Pro-Am golf tournament in November 2014 and over 100 women participated. The event not only helped raise money for a great cause it brought women together from all over the country to encourage and empower the game of golf. Funds are also used to support programming delivered through the LPGA Girls Golf program.
Dotch was born in Mobile, Alabama. At the age of 12, her dad, a weekend golfer, began to teach her–along with her three brothers, the game of golf. The youngster was immediately attracted to the sport and played golf at Irving High School (Irving, Texas). She played so well that it earned her a golf scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. While at Bethune, her team won the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship all four years that Dotch was on the team. During her senior year she won the Women’s Division.
After graduating college with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting, Dotch played for two seasons on the prestigious Futures Golf Tour (now the Symetra Tour). Following this period, Dotch turned her attention to the business side of the industry. While working in the golf industry Dotch has overseen numerous golf tournaments and events. She has conducted hundreds of junior golf clinics, with The First Tee of Dallas and the City of Dallas recreation centers.
The African American Museum at Fair Park founded and houses the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame, which chronicles the contributions of Texas African-Americans to sports history. Other inductees for the 2015 awards program are yet to be announced.
Since the Hall’s opening, 228 people have been inducted, including former Dallas Texans running back Abner Haynes; ex-NBA star Anthony “Spud” Webb; former tennis player Zina Garrison Jackson; 1968 Olympian runner John Carlos; former Prairie View A&M University and Olympic track coach Barbara Jacket; boxing legend Jack Johnson; and Chicago Cubs great Ernie Banks.
“[What] stands out with this class is how they excelled in whatever role they were called to fulfill [often] under very adverse circumstances,” said Hall of Fame advisory committee member Gordon Jackson in a prepared statement during 2014.
The Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame is an effort to chronicle the contributions African American Texans have made to the history of sports. To achieve this goal, the following objectives are listed on its website as being offered:
- To honor African American Texan athletes and coaches who have made outstanding contributions to sports.
- To collect and preserve records and objects documenting the activities of African American Texan athletes.
- To develop a permanent exhibition at the African American Museum on the African American Texan athletes.
- To develop an educational program on African American Texan athletes using traditional methods and newer technology.
To be eligible for induction, the nominee must be a Texan by birth, residence or employment. Each nominee’s record must be exemplary in terms of sportsmanship and citizenship.
For the selection process, the inductee is selected from nominations submitted by the general public. A blue-ribbon panel, the Board of Selectors, will make the selection.
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The Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame (TBSHOF), housed at the African American Museum, located at 3536 Grand Avenue, Dallas, TX, was established to chronicle the sports history contributions made by African Americans. It was established in 1996 to honor coaches and athletes of high character and athletic achievement, who are either Texans by birth or by athletic participation (collegiate or professional), and who have made recognizable contributions to African American culture and/or history.
For additional information on the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame or the 2015 Indication Ceremony and Luncheon, please contact Freddie D. Evans at 214.985.9600.
