Billy Dale Tidwell (April 8, 1932 – March 16, 2023) was an American university sports administrator and former college track and field and cross country coach. Tidwell served as

Emporia State University Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. E ...

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches a ...

from 1971 to 1979, and coached track and field, as well as cross country from 1979 until 1984 after his retirement as athletics director.

Early years

Tidwell was born in

Kiowa, Kansas Kiowa is a city in Kiowa Township, Barber County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 902. It is located one mile north of the Kansas / Oklahoma state border. History 19th century Kiowa was founde ...

and attended Kiowa High School. After high school, Tidwell attended the

Kansas State Teachers College Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Em ...

(KSTC) to compete in cross country and track & field. He was a four-time national NAIA champion and finished 3rd in the

880 yards The 800 metres, or 800 meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event sin ...

at the 1955 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Tidwell graduated with a bachelor's of science education in health in 1957, followed by a master's degree in 1958. Tidwell received his doctorate from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

Career

After graduating from KSTC in 1958, Tidwell became an assistant professor at

Hunter College Hunter College is a public university in New York City, United States. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools ...

for one year before leaving for

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

. While at Oberlin, Tidwell was the athletic director, cross country and track & field coach, and a professor in the health and education department. While at Oberlin, Tidwell became the first chairman of both the men's and women's sports. In 1971, Tidwell became the athletics director at his

alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...

. While at Emporia State from 1971 to 1979, Tidwell served as a professor, chair of the HPER department, and the athletics director. In 1979, Tidwell resigned as the athletics director, while continuing to teach and became the cross country and track & field coach for five years. Tidwell retired in 1994.

Awards and honors

In 1963, Tidwell became a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. In 1977, Tidwell entered the

Drake Relays The Drake Relays is an outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, in Drake Stadium (Drake University), Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University. Billed as ''America's Athletic Classic'', it is regarded as one ...

Hall of Fame. In 1982, Tidwell became a charter member at his alma mater's hall of fame and in 2014, was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Oberlin College Athletics awards the "Billy Tidwell" to student athletes who show athleticism, professionalism, teaching, and community service.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tidwell, Bill 1932 births 2023 deaths Emporia State University alumni Emporia State Hornets athletic directors Oberlin College faculty People from Kiowa, Kansas Sportspeople from Kansas American male middle-distance runners Emporia State Hornets men's track and field athletes