Hall of Fame
Thomas Propps was a 1956 graduate of Gauley
Bridge High School where and was co-captain of the
football team in 1955 – a warm up of things to come.
In 1956, Propps enrolled at Tech where he became a 4 year letter winner for the Golden Bears before eventually graduating in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies. As an athlete, Thomas started at Tackle for Tech his Junior and Senior seasons while also doubling as the Kicker on Special Teams. His Senior season Propps was named a co-captain where he helped guide the Golden Bears to much success – Tech averaged 28 points a game, led the nation in total defense and tasted defeat only once.
After graduating from WV Tech, Propps moved to Fairfax, VA where he taught social studies, coached and also worked as an administrator for the Fairfax County School system. In 1962 Thomas married Judith Pettry, a Tech graduate and 1959 Miss Bear Tracks. From 1962-1965 he coached football at Edison High School where he was awarded Coach of the Year in 1965 after guiding his team to an Alexandria District Championship.
Propps earned his Masters in Education from the University of Virginia in 1967 only to become assistant principal at Mount Vernon High School from 1969; a post he held until 1987. Thomas was also elected the President of the Fairfax Education Association in 1969 where he secured the first teachers’ negotiation’s agreement in Virginia. As the associations’ chief negotiator, he helped establish the current retirement system for Fairfax County educators. Propps also worked with the National Education Association and the National Council of Urban Education Association with structuring negotiations and self evaluations; a service that helped earn him a Honorary life membership in the Virginia Education Association, Fairfax Education Association and a life membership in the National Education Association.
From 1971 thru 1979, Thomas served as a member of the Board of Directors of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) where he held various post such as Chairman of the Building Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors. During his time on serving on the Board, NOVA became the largest post-secondary school in VA; currently enrolling over 63,000 students.
In 1987, Thomas retired from the school system and moved to Myrtle Beach where he started Challenge, Ltd – a cabinet manufacturing business. In 1992 Propps earned his Coast Guard recognized Sea Captain’s Licenseand has been chasing the Marlin ever since.
