Gene Silver†
Inducted: 1991
Hometown: Harlingen
High School: Harlingen High School
College: Rice University
Best Known for: Athlete – Fast-Pitch Softball
August 14, 1928-February 14, 2018
Silver was a superb and graceful natural athlete who could master any sport at the drop of a hat.
Silver made an early name as a standout football player with Harlingen High School in the mid-1940s, excelled at golf and football for Rice University, and later in life became one of the greatest Valley softball players of all time.
Silver was a fast running back at Harlingen who was good enough to continue his career with the Owls. But he is best known for a phenomenal softball tenure during which he pitched in the international tournament three times and won nearly 1,000 games.
A perennial All-State fast-pitch selection, Silver hurled for 46 years, winning MVP at the regional tournament four times. His best season came in 1950 when he compiled a 33-1 overall record to lead Houston Downtown Chevrolet to a third-place finish in the world tournament.