Gene McClure a long-time statistician and scorebook keeper for Erwin High school celebrated his 90th birthday Saturday with the ones who mean most to him at the Mount Carmel Child Enrichment Center in Asheville.

McClure was also honored with a $5,000 endowed scholarship named in his honor.

This scholarship will go to a student wanting to major in mathematics at Western Carolina University where McClure went to school.

During the celebration, an announcement was made that Erwin's press box will be named after Gene as well.

Former basketball standout and member of the 2016 WNC Hall of Fame Class Connie Rodgers-Newcome says McClure has a very particular way of doing what he loves to do.

"Personally Mr. McClure was a mentor he was the one who taught me math, he’s the one who allowed me to be his student assistant and after every basketball game that I played he would let me look through his scorebook and it was perfectly done everything was correct just like Mr. McClure always did," Rodgers-Newcome said.

McClure was the Warriors scorekeeper for 51 years while also taking care of the role of the football statistician for 45 years.

During this time he also taught at Erwin as a math teacher for 28 years before retiring in 1987.

"We've exchanged Christmas cards for over 40 years what more could you ask from a man that has stayed in touch and has meant so much to so many especially for me and my family because he was there for me." Rodgers-Newcome said.

McClure grew up in the Addie community of Jackson County. He knew by 5th grade that he wanted to be a teacher, and after earning two degrees at Western Carolina, he taught at Andrews and served two years in the U.S. Army.

His career at Erwin began in 1958, teaching business and math.