RALPH DYKES, Lombard, Illinois

Inducted 1973

Organizer: Ralph Dykes was born in 1913 and bought his first pair of horseshoes in 1937 from H. Jackson (son of Frank Jackson), a pair of 1936 Ohio shoes for $1.50. He went on to serve as Illinois Association President for twenty years (1948-1968). He also was elected NHPA President from 1967 to 1972. Ralph is known for providing innovative improvements to the handling of World Tournaments: including construction of scoring devises, qualifying score posting board, and the revision of the 36-player round robin schedule. Ralph was awarded the Stoke Memorial Award in 1968 and passed away December 8, 1998, at age 85.