To hear leaders across Springfield describe him, Bobby Allison walks around with a halo and a pair of heavenly wings. Not convinced? In south Springfield, there is Miracle League Ball Field where developmentally disabled kids can play baseball. A mile west sits Harmony House, a shelter for domestically abused families. Over at Missouri State University,… Read more »
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Category: Philanthropists
Dan Boever
So, when is Dan Boever – who doubles as a longtime long drive competitor and a golf entertainer – going to get a real job? “I joke about the fact that, between baseball and golf, I have been paid to hit a ball with a stick for 33 years since college,” Boever said. “Good thing… Read more »
Jim Crane
In the summer of 1974, decades before he came to own a big-league baseball team, Jim Crane took a union job on the loading docks of a dry goods company near St. Louis. In essence, that’s truly where his life journey began. You see, Crane’s father had recently passed away, the family needed money and,… Read more »
Sonnie Dooley
Back in the mid-1960s, having never before picked up a golf club, Sonnie Dooley found herself on tees, fairways and greens as her husband introduced the sport. All these years later, she tells the story with a polite grin. After all, learning a challenging game isn’t for those with little patience. And, considering the learning… Read more »
John Q. Hammons
John Q. Hammons grew up during the Great Depression on a farm in Fairview, MO. He attended Fairview schools and later Southwest Missouri Teachers College (SMSU) in Springfield. Hammons’ contributions to sports in Missouri and around the country are numerous. In 1976, he provided the funding for the construction of the Hammons Student Center on… Read more »
Julius Hochman
He earned a scholarship to Utah State University in basketball. He returned to St. Joseph to start his family and begin his lifelong journey in youth baseball. In 1954, he founded the first Youth Baseball League in St. Joseph. Within a few years, his league covered the entire city. He led the efforts to raise… Read more »
Forrest Lucas
In 2007, in the southwest Missouri community of Wheatland, rose Lucas Oil Speedway, with a 3/8-mile, semi-banked dirt oval as the cornerstone. Even better, it looked like the new-age big-league parks, complete with a lighted-up backdrop featuring a majestic grandstand, VIP suites and press box. “Diamond of Dirt Tracks” it was soon called. And now… Read more »
Lynn Reeves
Growing up in Springfield, he developed a love for the outdoors thanks to a Boy Scout troop through First Baptist Church. And, because his older brothers loved to fish, guess who tagged along? Lynn Reeves still cherishes those days of heading off to Table Rock Lake, Stockton Lake, Truman Lake or the nearby James River… Read more »
Bob Roth
Roth has given much to the game of basketball. He is Chairman of the Board at Hillyard, Inc., the leader of basketball flooring products in the country. In his life, he was also the first president of the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986 and the initial president of the John Q. Hammons Missouri Sports… Read more »
Walt Schoenke
Walt Schoenke was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 as a sports contributor. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1941 and served four years as a crew chief on the F-86 Fighter Sabre Jet. After his military career, Schoenke eventually joined the Monsanto Company as a national sales manager for… Read more »
Rex Sinquefield
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame has taken the lead of the International Olympic Committee which recognizes chess as a sport. St. Louis’ Rex Sinquefield founded the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, a venue where newcomers can learn and seasoned veterans can compete in local, national and international tournaments. In 2011, the… Read more »
Don Walsworth
In 1957, after walking across the University of Missouri campus following graduation, Don Walsworth figured that somehow, some way he would return. No, not simply to visit or watch ballgames. But to give back, to provide something meaningful to a campus that had positioned him for success – a success that even he didn’t know… Read more »