The late James Ehrman played basketball for three years, lettering twice, and played tennis one year. Ehrman graduated from Bluffton in 1939 with a degree in mathematics. He then went on to earn his master’s degree in education from Kent State University in 1951, and completed additional graduate studies at Fenn College, Western Reserve University and the University of Toledo.
For 40 years he worked in educational administration in Ohio school districts. He served at Bluffton as director of alumni affairs, 1966-67; athletics director, 1978-80; and associate in development, 1978-84. For many years he served in many volunteer capacities in the football press box and at the men’s basketball scorer’s table. In retirement, Ehrman worked on special projects in the development office, including organizing the annual NAA Homecoming and May Day Fund Run.
Ehrman received many honors at Bluffton including the Larry Jones Memorial Award for service to the athletic department and was named Outstanding Alumnus in 1982.
“My most outstanding memory of Bluffton sports was a time when the team was on a trip to southern Ohio,” Ehrman said. “A restaurant refused to serve once of our players because he was black, so we all got up and walked out.”
Ehrman died in 1994.
