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Born: May 14, 1899, Pebworth, Kentucky Died: July 21, 1976, Richmond, Kentucky
Elected to Hall of Fame by Committee on Baseball Veterans: 1970

Hall of Famer Earle Combs was an exceptional all-around ballplayer who made key contributions to the mighty Yankee teams of the 1920s and 1930s. He was born in Pebworth, Kentucky, in 1899. Hoping to become a teacher, he attended Eastern Kentucky State Normal School in Richmond, where he played basketball, ran track, and starred on the baseball field, hitting .591 in his final year.

During the summer he taught in one-room schools, but he soon learned that he could make more money and have more fun playing semipro baseball. When he hit .444 for the Harlan team, the Louisville Colonels of the American Association signed him.

Female residence hall, named after Earle B. Combs, former N.Y. Yankee center fielder who played with Babe Ruth and is himself a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Combs attended EKU and served as chairman on the University's Board of Regents for several years. Combs Hall, built in 1963, houses 250 women and is located near the center of the campus. The air-conditioned facility has two community baths on each of the upper four floors and one on the ground floor.