1962- Karen Sanders Peterson became the first and only female athlete in school history to have lettered in a men's varsity sport
1965- Henry Logan became the first African American student athletes to compete in school history and in an predominately white college in North Carolina
1975-Jerry Gaines becomes the first and only student-athlete in school history to received All-American honors in three different sports
1976- Western Carolina joins the Southern Conference
1980-Ronnie Carr made the first three-point shot in a collegiate basketball game in NCAA history in Reid
1983- Western Carolina's Football team because the first team in school history to compete for a national championship
1989-Western Carolina University established its own Athletic Hall of Fame
1990- Henry Logan was inducted into the Hall of Fame for becoming the first African American athlete to play in the state of North Carolina, owning every school record in basketball, being ranked 9th all-time in college basketball scoring list with 3,290 shot and for being one of Western Carolina's most heralded athletics
1991- Ronnie Carr and Jerry Gaines were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Carr was awarded Most Courageous Athletic Award and was also recognized in the National Basketball Hall of Frame. Gaines was an All-American in football, track and field, and baseball. Gaines football jersey and number are retired and owns the record for a season best batting average in baseball
2001- Karen Sanders Peterson was inducted into the Hall of Fame. During her season campaign, Sports Illustrated wrote an article about her called "Faces in the Crowd"
2003- The 1983 Football team was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 1983 team was known not only competing for a national championship, but for having one of the best comebacks in Western Carolina's History. Their total record that year was 11-3-1 and had a total of 11 members who made the All-Southern Conference Selections, two All-Americans and Southern Conference Coach of the Year, Bob Walters