Elwood Denson and Grace Massey, both from nearby Lawrenceburg, Tenn., arrived on the Martin College campus in the fall of 1945 and immediately became key players on the varsity basketball teams, with Elwood also a standout in baseball. The two married after their freshman year and served as captains and leading scorers of the basketball teams as sophomores during the 1946-47 season, with Grace scoring 32 points in one particular game. She was offered a contract to play professional basketball, but chose to go into education, becoming a pre-school and kindergarten teacher. 

Elwood went on to play basketball at Athens College in Alabama, before becoming a highly successful coach and official in Tennessee, and then entering the ministry of the United Methodist Church. 

Their two children, Eddie (a member of the Class of ’67) and Debra (Class of ’71), became standout athletes at Martin College as well, as Debra served as a member of the first Martin volleyball team in 1970.

During their induction, Martin Methodist College Alumni Director Jerry Burlison introduced Grace Massey Denson, who accepted the plaque on behalf of her late husband and her, by saying, "It is a family such as the Denson's that Martin Methodist owes so much."

She reflected on her time at Martin at the end of World War II saying, "There were only four men on campus, and I had one of them, but this was right after the war and it wasn't long before the men returned and we had enough to form a basketball team...Martin has been such an intrical part of our lives, and we're so thankful for that."