Much of the interest in Carroll County history is focused on certain dates or this or that building or road, but what makes any county truly great are its people.

I was fascinated to recently run across an old newspaper item from Aug. 7, 1999, written by Baltimore Sun writer David Greene, in which he described Laurie Walters' 100-year birthday party for her house in the historic Belle Grove area of Westminster.

This is, the party was not so much a birthday gala for the structure as it was a celebration of the people who had been associated with the house.

One of those celebrated folks mentioned was Lt. Col. Charles W. "Coach" Havens. For those who did not know Coach Havens, he wore many hats over his years in Westminster.

Havens died in May 1996 of kidney failure, according to an obituary, also in The Sun, by Fred Rasmussen.

He was a 1930 graduate of then-Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) who later returned to the school on the hill to serve as its athletic director and coach of the football, baseball, basketball and boxing, a well as an instructor in physical education and health, according to the obituary.

In 1982, Havens won the McDaniel College Alumnus of the Year, presented to, "a graduate who is of good character and is held in high esteem by ... associates and has brought credit upon him/herself and McDaniel College," according to the college's Web site.

Since 1982, the college also awards an annual Charles W. Havens Award, to "a senior who participated in intercollegiate athletics and has shown by word and deeds the attributes of charity, altruism, benevolence and a humane and compassionate concern for his fellow man."

Havens also served as Westminster's recreation director, a position currently held by Ron Schroers.

He taught for a period at North Carroll Junior High School, according to local historian Jay Graybeal, who described Havens as "a friendly teacher ... but I never knew that he was a veteran."

Indeed, we are reminded of Havens' service to our country primarily by an entry in the "Cog Wheel," a publication of the Westminster Rotary Club written by Edward C. Seitz, James P. Earp and Paul S. Manino.

The October 1946 edition mentions Havens as one of the club members who served in World War II, and on Jan. 19, 1945, the old, now-defunct Democratic Advocate ran an article about then-Major Charles W. Havens, who had just been "Awarded Soldier's Medal For Bravery and Heroism In Rescue."

We'll research more about Coach Havens for a future column, but in the meanwhile, please drop me a note if you have a memory of Havens to share.

I'd also really like to have a picture of Coach Havens. If you have one, e-mail it to me or drop it in the mail at P. O. Box 1245, Westminster, MD 21158.

When he is not shivering from the cold, Kevin Dayhoff may reached at kevindayhoff@gmail.com or visit him at www.westminstermarylandonline.net.

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