Hamwey Inducted into Millis Athletics Hall of Fame Journalist A Bellingham Resident For 50 Years

Ken Hamwey, who’s lived in Bellingham for 50 years, was inducted into the Millis High Athletics Hall of Fame on March 19 at the Medway VFW before a crowd of 300.

The 78-year-old sports writer, who was honored as a contributor, was among seven selected for Millis’ third induction ceremony. Also chosen were Dennis Breen (posthumously), Rich Monaghan, Molly Breen, Pete Vigue, the 1980 state champion boys track team, and the 2008-09 state champion girls basketball squad. Monaghan and the Breens were inducted as athletes and Vigue was selected as a coach/athletic director.

Hamwey, who continues to report and write about high school sports in semi-retirement, works for Local Town Pages, a group of monthly newspapers in the area and the Bellingham Bulletin. The towns where his stories are published include Bellingham, Holliston, Millis, Medway, Norfolk, Wrentham, Franklin and Natick.

Hamwey served as the Bulletin’s sports editor but now writes one monthly sports feature and a municipal column for that edition. Before retiring from full-time journalism, he worked at the Providence Journal as its Night Sports Editor.

The Natick High and Babson College graduate has covered Millis sports for 54 years and his very first story was on the Millis football team in 1967. 

“I’m honored and humbled to be recognized by the Millis Hall of Fame Committee,’’ said Hamwey. “My work is a testament to the outstanding athletes Millis High turns out and to the school’s state championship teams.’’

Hamwey also thanked Millis Athletic Director Chuck Grant for introducing him, acknowledged Gordon Browne, a former three-sport athlete at Millis, for nominating him, and thanked his wife “for her patience, understanding and support.’’

Hamwey’s remarks then turned to what makes a Millis student-athlete tick.

“Players from Millis are three-dimensional,’’ he said. “They’re 3-D. They play with desire, they’re dedicated, and they’re devoted to the task at hand. They also compete with a chip on their shoulder because they’re usually viewed as underdogs because they hail from a school with a small enrollment.’’

Commenting on the other six inductees, all of whom he covered at various times, Hamwey lauded their talent, ability and their three-dimensional approach.

Hamwey then focused his remarks on some of the professional sports icons he covered.

“I was on the scene when Red Auerbach and the Celtics were winning their 10th and 11th NBA championships,’’ he said. “I also covered a press conference that featured Vince Lombardi, the Green Bay Packers high-profile coach who led his team to the first two Super Bowls titles. Another interesting character was Earl Weaver, the Baltimore Orioles manager who often was ejected from games for kicking dirt on umpires’ shoes and for being a bit too vocal.’’

Hamwey said after the ceremony that he was very appreciative of former athletes and coaches who attended the event to thank him for coverage of their games. They hailed from Bellingham, Milford, Medway, Franklin and Holliston.

Hamwey’s career began at the Framingham News, now the Metrowest Daily News, in 1967. After six years in Framingham, he was hired at the Providence Journal where he spent the next 35 years working for the four-time Pulitzer-prize-winning newspaper. He finished his career there as Night Sports Editor, retiring in 2008. 

On Hamwey’s last day in Providence, the Rhode Island State Senate read aloud a citation for his efforts and contributions to R.I. athletics. Two years later, in 2010, he was honored by the Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), which presented him with its Distinguished Friend Award.

At the Metrowest News, Hamwey wrote a popular weekly column — “Yesterday’s Heroes’’ — that focused on athletes’ and coaches’ past achievements.

In 2007, Hamwey began covering sports for the Bellingham Bulletin. As Sports Editor at the Bulletin, he launched a column similar to Yesterday’s Heroes called “Where Are They Now,” reporting on former Bellingham athletes. 

“My career has been very enjoyable, and it’s been a delight to watch and report on Millis’ excellence in the athletic arena,’’ he concluded.