Abraham Mitchell, the one-man fashion parade known as “Mr. CIAA,” will be one of 10 people inducted into the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s hall of fame next year in Charlotte.
Mitchell, a native of Suffolk, Virginia, garnered the name “Mr. CIAA” for his longstanding practice of attending the annual CIAA Basketball Tournament with an ensemble of self-made clothing, which he displays for fans by parading through the stands. He has been known to change outfits numerous times during a single game.
CIAA officials honored Mitchell in 2012 for 33 years of continuous attendance at the tournaments.
According to conference officials, Mitchell, who works in a funeral home, began his famous strut while his nephew attended his favorite Norfolk State University, a former CIAA member institution.
Others inducted into the John B. McLendon, Jr., Hall of Fame are:
Ronald “Flip” Murray, a former basketball standout at Shaw University; Tory Woodbury, a former football student-athlete at Winston-Salem State University; Earl “Air” Harvey, a former football standout at North Carolina Central University; Mark Sherrill, a former basketball student-athlete and current assistant coach at Johnson C. Smith University; Arthur “Boo Boo” Gaskins, a former basketball standout at Elizabeth City State University; Ingrid Wicker-McCree, a former volleyball coach and now director of athletics at North Carolina Central University; Andre Springs, a former golf student-athlete from Fayetteville State University and now director of athletics at Livingstone College; Dianthia Ford-Kee, a former administrator at Shaw University; and Edward McLean, a former director of athletics at Fayetteville State University.
The induction ceremony will be held at the 2016 Hall of Fame Breakfast on Friday, February 26 at the Charlotte Convention Center
