Hall of Fame
Dr. Bilbo’s duties at Lee College/University varied over the years, but the impact he had on students remained steadfast through his long and storied career. Ask anyone who had the opportunity to know this education giant and you will get an earful. His influence spread beyond the campus and he was an influential member of the Bradley County/Cleveland area.
Dr. Bilbo was especially important to the sports programs at Lee. Long before it became standard practice for sports programs to have academic advisors and counselors Dr. Bilbo was fulfilling that roll at Lee. Countless members of the old “Vintage Vikings” will tell you, “if it weren’t for Dr. Bilbo, I would have never received my degree.” He made learning fun, his grand spirit just kind of pulled you along, and you soon let his enthusiasm let you see, ‘hey I’ve got this.’ It was delightful when the Vintage Vikings met to hear his stories of different players over the years and some of the escapades that he was part of. He always told them with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his lips.
Once he knew you, he never let you go and he could recall the smallest details of almost any given player stories. He always had time for you, he always made you feel you were important to him. He never sought the spotlight, he was a behind the scene contributor and for those who knew, his contributions were many.
