William Millhoan Is 2008 Joe Neville Award Winner
by Tom White

DELAWARE, OH--The late William (Bill) Millhoan, past president of the Delaware County Fair Board and a member of the Little Brown Jug Society, is the 2008 Joseph Neville Award winner.

Delaware Fair officials will honor Millhoan during the Mayor’s  Breakfast to be held Wednesday morning, September 17th  at the hospitality pavilion located adjacent to the first turn.

Millhoan, a Delaware native and longtime executive at Pittsburgh Paint Company, was the fair board’s representative in all matters concerning Delaware’s world famous half-mile track. He oversaw the construction of the Jug Barn and was responsible for the original design of the Jugette Barn.

Race Secretary Tom Wright, who spoke at Millhoan’s funeral this past March, said he asked Bill’s widow, Terry Todd Millhoan, for her husband’s “ratty old shoes” that he wore every time he came to the track . “They will be huge shoes to fill.  Bill’s work ethic was unmatched,” Wright said. 

Phil Terry, marketing director of the Delaware Fair, added “Bill probably knew more about the total fair than anyone and was the best liaison between the fair board and horsemen you will ever find.  The most important thing about Bill was that he was a friend.”

Millhoan and Terry bred and raced a strong stable of trotters.  

“The best horse we ever owned was Blaze Of Speed, a trotter we bought as a yearling for $150,” said Terry.  “He was a supplement to the Blooded Horse Sale and I only had a brief glance at him before Brooks Wells ( a sale official) bid him in for me.  He was about the size of a Shetland Pony.  But he turned out to be a real good trotter.  I won the Billings Series with him in 1992.

”My husband didn’t train or jog many of our horses on a daily bases.  But, he would train and jog for me whenever I was too sick to work,” said Terry.

Millhoan is the 10th Joe Neville Award Winner.  Terry’s late father, Dr. Frank Todd, was honored in 2006.

Millhoan’s sons Mike, Todd and Kip and daughter Kelly will attend the breakfast with their mother, Terry.
Tickets to the Mayor’s Breakfast are available for $30 each by phoning (800) 335-3247 or by writing The Mayor’s Breakfast, PO Box 1278, Delaware, OH 43015. 

               Joseph Neville Memorial Award

2008          William Millhoan
2007          Raymond Greene
2006          Dr. Frank Todd
2005          Charles Mitchell
2004          Joe O’Brien
2003          Frank Ervin
2002          James Hackett
2001          George Sholty
2000          Charles Hill
1999          Max Hempt