DS Basketball Coach Tony Ingle, businessman Jack Bandy, and Dalton Junior College basketball coach Mel Ottinger
“I told the Dalton State golf teams after they had both won the Southern States Athletics Conference championships in 2015 that I love golf and I love this college, but I really LIKE winners.”
That’s what Dalton entrepreneur Jack Bandy said this week as he met with Dalton State basketball coach Tony Ingle and Dalton Junior College Coach Melvyn Ottinger to talk about his family’s long standing support of the school. B. J. Bandy Gymnasium on the then junior college campus opened in the fall of 1968, one year after DJC welcomed its first students.
“There were several people recognized with the different buildings when the college was founded and dad was one of them and they named the gym after him,” Bandy said. “To my knowledge we never gave a dollar for it. There was no personal funding for the gym. It was just that whoever the powers to be were at the time wanted to honor dad. I have given a lot of money to the college, but that came later. It’s a fantastic facility. Dad was very active in athletics and supported athletics in Dalton. Personally, I know of high school stuff. He was recognized to be someone interested in sports.”
“My father was a pioneer in the tufted bedspread industry and a special pioneer in the chenille industry,” said Bandy. “He was recognized by the state legislature and certainly his peers here have been top-dollar. He did a fabulous job for the people.”
Bandy recalled meeting a man who owned a fruit stand in Murray County who then told his adult son about B. J. Bandy’s influence on the area’s well being. “His daddy fed more people here back during the depression than anything,” the man told his son.
“The industry in this area was very, very important to this area and very meaningful to the well being of this area,” Bandy added.
“There is no doubt that they have been special people,” Ottinger said of the Bandy family. “This building back then cost $750,000 to build and I think the recent renovation in here cost almost that much just for the gym. I can remember sending out letters to recruits saying we are going to be playing in this spacious, big time $750,000 athletic complex.”
Ottinger said it didn’t take him long to learn the importance of the Bandy name. “I came here from Rome and the Bandy’s were just another name to me. Since I’ve been here I have found out its not just another name. It’s a very important name to this city and they’ve always been very, very community people.”
Ingle is a Dalton native who arrived as the coach of the new four year Roadrunner basketball program with a good understanding of the community.
“I spoke at a Rotary Club meeting when I first got here about five years ago. Someone had said ‘Jack Bandy’s here’. I’d never been around Jack Bandy. I had just heard about Jack Bandy and what a great man he is. My brother-in-law has played a little golf with him and I’d always wanted to meet Jack Bandy,” said Ingle.
The coach usually has no loss for words, but, after the speech, Ingle introduced himself to Bandy. “Hello, I’m Tony Ingle,” stumbled the coach. “I know. You just got through speaking,” the Rotarian answered. Ingle then asked to have his picture made with Bandy.
“When somebody does something and not wanting any kind of recognition for it, you can just know there is something there special,” said Ingle. “The heartbeat of Dalton is having people like that who take care of each other and provide things. A lot of lives have been blessed. I had one offer to play college basketball and my whole life changed. Coach Ottinger gave me that opportunity. People like the Bandy family gave us those opportunities. I share with my players and I share with my children anytime you’ve got a chance to be around greatness you need to do that. To me Jack Bandy’s a great man. I wanted to be around him. I wanted to get my picture made with him.”
Ingle said four generations were a part of the Dalton State athletic program. B. J. Bandy, Jack Bandy, Ottinger, and Ingle. “I wanted everybody to know that this is part of our tradition. We’re proud of what we do here. We want to do it the right way. When I recruit, I want to bring in kids with good character and people that will work hard in the classroom, on the court, in the community, and I know that’s what Mr. Bandy wants.”