Hall of Fame
Merle Bauer is inducted to the Peru State Hall of Fame not just based on his athletic abilities displayed while at Peru State, but also for his contributions to athletics after his graduation from the College.
Bauer was a four-year letterman in basketball and received all-conference honors three years. While in a Bobcat uniform, Bauer and his teammates made three consecutive trips to the NAIA DI National Tournament – 1948, 1949, and 1950.
After graduation from Peru State, Bauer taught and coached in Bertrand, Tecumseh, Holdrege, and North Platte. He was the athletic director at North Platte for nearly two decades with the football field eventually being named after him. He is considered to be the key figure in expanding girls' athletics in North Platte.
Bauer passed away in 1988 and was posthumously inducted in the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame as an athlete, basketball coach, and athletic director.
