In addition to the development of the Fairoaks area of the Old Towne District, which includes Henderson House, the world-renowned businessman’s name also adorns the city’s Performing Arts Center.

And when Striplin touched industry, most agreed it was golden. American Fine Wire is an example.  Bloomberg’s described American Fine Wire as a leading supplier of bonding wire for the semiconductor assembly industry with sales of approximately $68 million for the year ending Dec. 31, 1994, just before it sold.

It was based in Selma, part of the Circle S Industries. By the time of its sale, American Fine Wire had production facilities in Singapore, Zurich, Switzerland and Selma.

The industry provided good jobs in Selma, which needed good solid industry. But American Fine Wire was only one example. There was DISCO Aluminum founded in 1971 and sold nearly a decade later.

And that is just in Selma.

But life could have been very, very different for the outstanding Parrish High School basketball player his friends called “Red.” Striplin could have been an educator and a coach.

Fresh out of Birmingham Southern in 1952, Striplin went to Belmont College near Nashville, Tenn., to become its men’s basketball coach. In four years, he took the Bruins from a 7-10 team to a 16-8 team. The gym is named for him.

At one point Striplin was under consideration to lead the Alabama men’s basketball team.

And Striplin never forgot where he was from or the role sports had played in his development. Here are some of the ways Striplin touched sports in the state: establishing the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame; chair of the Bryant-Jordan Student Athlete Foundation; set up the Striplin Physical Fitness and Recreation Center and the Scrushy-Striplin Baseball Complex on the Birmingham-Southern College campus.

Striplin is also considered the father of the Quarterback Club in Selma.

“Larry has touched just about everybody in Selma in one way or the other,” Ballard said in the Chamber of Commerce article. “Larry loved Selma. He flat loved Selma.”