Welcome, to the Eastern Board of Officials, Inc (EBO) Website. The EBO was established in 1905 by Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson to provide competent officials for various athletic events within the District of Columbia. The primary objectives of EBO are to provide quality officials for various sporting events; to stimulate improvement in officiating, physical education, fitness, recreation; and good sportsmanship.
The EBO is extremely proud of the accomplishments of many of its members such as:
• R. Melvin Jackson, (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hall of Famer)
• Leo Miles, (National Football League Official, Assistant Supervisor of Officials National Football League)
• Johnny Grier, (First African American Referee - National Football League, former Supervisor of Officials, Mid Eastern Athletic Conference)
• Larry Upson, (Former National Football League Official, Director of Officiating Operations UFL, Supervisor of Officials XFL)
• James Dukes, (National Football League Official)
• Boris Cheek, (National Football League Official, former Canadian Football League Official)
• Gregory Steed, (National Football League Official)
• James Jackson, (Former Canadian Football League Official, Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Official)
• Dave Coleman, (Current VP of Officiating for the Pac-12, former NFL Director of Officiating, Mid American Conference and Mid Eastern Athletic Conference)
• Al Forman, (former Football Commissioner and Rules Interpreter EBO, member of the National Federation Safety Committee, Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Observer)
• Joanne Burgess (first female) certified to officiate football by the National Federation.
• Toni Morgan (first female Referee to officiate at the varsity level in the District of Columbia)
• William (Bill) Wilson, (long time Central Collegiate Athletic Association Observer)
• Thomas Beard, Reginald Holton, Frank Price, Murdock Schofield, Roosevelt McIlwain, and many others.
The legacy of EBO is that of an outstanding professional officiating organization. Accept the challenges of officiating…good men and women are always needed.
Sincerely,
Derek F. Hatten
President