PirateQ 
Four new Pirate legends have cemented their place in Pensacola State College’s storied history, their swashbuckling tales of athletic triumph and unwavering support forever enshrined in the College’s rich legacy.
Joe Ambersley, steadfast supporter of PSC athletics and namesake of the basketball court in Hartsell Arena; Chip Boes, former PSC head basketball coach and physical education instructor; Maxine Farmer, former PSC women’s basketball standout; and Buddy Kisner, former PSC head baseball coach were inducted into the PSC Athletics Hall of Fame in a ceremony at Hartsell Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.
Pensacola State President Ed Meadows and the PSC Athletic Department, led by Athletic Director Bryan Lewallyn and Hailey Lotz, Executive Director for Development, Alumni and Athletics, hosted a private reception at The Third Floor in the BEAR JONES MOORE REEVES Center for Math and Advanced Technology to honor these distinguished inductees.
Family, friends, former Hall of Fame inductees, coaches, athletes, Board of Trustees members, PSC faculty and staff attended to show respect and gratitude for the inductees’ lasting contributions to Pensacola State’s athletic legacy and success.
Inductees, their families, and friends took places of honor at the festively decorated tables as they enjoyed a delicious meal catered by Miller’s Ale House before the recognition ceremony started. Laughter rang throughout the venue as attendees connected with one another, sharing memories and catching up with each others’ lives.
Dan Shugart (PSC Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020), retired WEAR Sports Director of 43 years, served as Master of Ceremonies, introducing the inductees before they were each awarded a commemorative PSC ring and a framed Proclamation. The Proclamation honored their outstanding contributions to Pensacola State College, athletics, and society at large, officially marking their enshrinement into this prestigious fellowship of Pirate legends.
President Ed Meadows addressed the inductees in his closing remarks, stating, “There is one commonality I want to point out: it’s not just because you were a coach, athletic director, or player at Pensacola State that you were enshrined. You were enshrined because of what you did as a person after you played, coached, or administered other programs on behalf of individuals in our society. You became an important person to a lot of people, whether in our community or beyond Pensacola. So that’s a large part of why you’re enshrined, because of what you did during and after, as a human being, serving people in a self-serving society.”
The collective group of inductees made their way to a place deeply familiar to them – Hartsell Arena – where they had once shaped and been shaped by PSC athletics. Pirate sports fans witnessed greatness as the four powerhouse PSC legends stood on the basketball floor, the very stage of their past triumphs and celebrations.
Inductee Maxine Farmer walked down the line of the women’s basketball team, giving high fives to every player who greeted her with respect as she approached the center of the basketball floor in the very arena in which she excelled with honors as a PSC All-Conference and All-State basketball player. With a smile across her face, she joined fellow inductees Joe Ambersley and Chip Boes, who greeted her with a hug that belayed his understanding of the significance of that moment.
Even Brian Kisner, standing in for his father Buddy, unable to attend the evening’s celebration, was caught up in the excitement of the presentation, understanding what the enshrinement meant to his father through the beaming faces of the other inductees.
The crowd enthusiastically cheered and gave a standing ovation as the inductees were introduced to the crowd in a special ceremony between the women’s and men’s basketball games against Tallahassee State College, celebrating their lasting impact on the College’s athletic legacy.
For more information on the Pensacola State College Hall of Fame, visit PSC Athletics Hall of Fame.