Ronald Hardman - 1991
MHS 1971 Graduate
Ronald Hardman, Class of 1971, was nominated by his parents, Mary Jo and James Hardman. He attended West Elementary School and was very active in sports in high school where he played on the football and basketball teams. He was student-body president when he was a senior. He received his degree in business administration from Miami University in 1975. He is employed as a general manager of Progress Laundry, a division of Mechanics Laundry & Supply in Indianapolis, Indiana. His employer, Roy W. Buthman wrote, "This special recognition of Ron Hardman is very consistent with the effort and accomplishments he has achieved here. We recognize Ron as one of our leading performers with a winning attitude. He has completed several difficult assignments which could only be resolved with a tenacious attitude."
Hardman's community service includes years of coaching the youth of his communities. He has coached pony league and little league baseball teams, YMCA and Salvation Army basketball teams, pee-wee football and several wrestling clubs. He has been a Sunday school teacher, a church trustee, and a church youth coordinator. He was a member of the Dayton Jaycee’s and has played, as well as been captain, on both baseball and softball teams.
Hardman's nomination to the Minerva Alumni Hall of Fame stated, "Ron has always had a strong belief in athletic involvement as well as academic achievement. This relates to his upbringing in his academic and athletic careers in grade school, high school and college.”
He is a dedicated husband, father of three, stepfather of two, and a grandfather of two. His work with wrestling began because of his sons' involvement, and it has become an eight to ten month obligation for him each year. He has received his class ranking as an Indiana State Wrestling Association referee, he obtained raking as USA Referee in 1990 and that same year received his Senior USA Jacket. He was head referee for Cadet through Masters’ State Championship Free-style Tournament in Indiana. Recently he was chosen as a referee for the 1992 National Olympics in Wrestling.