The website hatchets.net recently nominated Edward “Jingles” Engelhart for induction into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle.  The Hall’s nominations committee will select the inductees later this year.  This is the 4^th nomination made on Engelhart‘s behalf.  Last year, hatchets.net named Washington High School’s All-Century Basketball Team to commemorate 100 years of Hatchet basketball.  The 14-member team included Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Leroy “Hook” Mangin, Charles Harmon, Art Grove, Jim Riffey and Dave DeJernett.  Engelhart, a teammate of DeJernett’s on Washington’s 1930 state championship team, was a unanimous selection for this honor.

Engelhart’s accomplishments span 45 years of Indiana basketball as a player, coach and athletic director.  He lettered 3 years (1928, 1929 and 1930) at WHS after playing junior varsity as a freshman.  He was named All-State in 1929 & 1930, and led the Hatchets in scoring both years.  After leading Washington to the state tournament’s final four in 1929, the 6’3” senior forward propelled the Hatchets to a 31-1 record and its first of four state titles in 1930.  He scored 765 points at WHS which ranked 2^nd all-time in 1930 (he is currently ranked 20th).  Although DeJernett returned for the 1931 season, the Hatchets could not repeat as champions and finished 24-6 without Engelhart.  After graduating from high school, he played on the powerful independent basketball team Washington "Coca Cola" in 1931.  Burl Friddle (Hatchet coach and Hall of Fame member) also played on that team.  Later, he played semi-pro basketball for Calumet of Louisville in 1932 & 1933.  He joined up with John Wooden on an AAU team in 1932 at the 16-team state championships in Indianapolis and was named the tourney MVP.

Engelhart went on to letter four years (1934, 1935, 1936 & 1937) at Central Normal College in Danville, Indiana.  He was named Indiana Collegiate All-State in 1936 & 1937.  The Purple Warriors achieved undefeated regular seasons in 1936 & 1937, winning the Indiana Collegiate Conference titles both years with identical 16-0 records.  The 1936 team finished 19-1 after going 3-1 in the Midwest Olympic Trials.  While at Central Normal, he was known as the "bell ringer" because of his talent for scoring.  As a player in high school and college, his teams went 130-29 for an incredible winning percentage of .818.

Straight out of college, Jingles was hired to teach and coach the varsity basketball team at Merrillville High School in 1937.  Although the school had an enrollment of only 400 students, his Pirates had 17 consecutive winning seasons and won or shared 4 conference titles.  He coached that team for 23 seasons before stepping down after the 1960 season with a record of 307-193 (a .614 winning percentage).  His 1948 team went undefeated during the regular season at 21-0.  In 1956, Merrillville High School named their basketball facility Engelhart Gymnasium.  After retiring from coaching, he continued on as a teacher and athletic director until his retirement in 1972.  In 1987, he was inducted into Merrillville's Hall of Fame.  He passed away in 1987.  For 34 seasons as a player and coach, Jingles personified Indiana basketball all the way.