A telephone conversation between two long time friends (Coot Cribb and Paul Robinson) in early 1985 led to a meeting at the YMCA with others of like mind which resulted in organizing what is known today as the Waycross - Ware County Sports Hall of Fame. Those two, with a combined total of eight decades of sporting experience, called a meeting for June 20, 1985 to discuss their plans and the organization was formed.

A constitution and by-laws were adopted along with a method of electing inductees and for securing nominees that included a call for public submission of names.

Of the first 11 directors chosen, 8 are deceased. They are Oscar Moody, E. L. "Coot" Cribb, George Bowen, Paul Robinson, Vernon Willis, Fleming Tyre, Bill Green, and Jimmie Lee Dowling.

The first induction banquet was held in 1986 with 15 former local athletic greats becoming charter inductees in the Hall of Fame. The Hall was also granted tax exempt status, making contributions tax deductible. At the 1987 banquet, 10 more former stars were inducted. The 1988 ceremony saw 5 more inductees admitted. The Hall also began to recognize a male and female student athlete from each local high school that year. Each succeeding year five new inductees and the student athletes have been honored.