Inductees

He could have left his legacy only on the basketball court as a star guard and gone on his way in life, telling stories years later of leading Sumner High School to a state title and landing in the record books at Missouri Baptist University.

Instead, Travis Brown far greater dreams, such as putting school children in a position to enjoy success just as his coaches did for him.

“They taught us the game of life through basketball,” Brown said, “and they were a huge impact on me.”

He certainly chased down his dreams as a coach and then as a positive-thinking and influential sports administrator, and his tremendous work is why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Brown with the Class of 2018.

Brown served on the Board of Directors of the Missouri High School Activities Association for 11 of the first 14 years of this century, including one term as board president (2010-2011) and another as its vice president.

Additionally, he rose to the role of Athletic Director of St. Louis Public Schools (2009-2014) and created a number of programs designed to challenge student-athletes – particularly the district’s Scholar-Athlete Luncheon Program.

In it, students must maintain at least a 3.25 grade point average, complete their sports season and must promote values of sportsmanship, citizenship, character and academic excellence. In return, they are honored at an annual banquet and matched with role models in athletics and business.

Put it this way, 3,120 students have been honored, with the program executed with assistance from Linda Riekes, Richard Gaines, Patrick Wallace and Molly Higgins. In order, they are the district’s Development Officer, SLPS Board member, and the district’s Communications Development Director and Los Angeles Rams VP of Community Affairs.

“I wanted the student-athlete to be well-rounded,” Brown said. “It was my vision, but I knew I had to get team members on board to help make this a reality.”

Call it one of several signature programs championed by Brown, a 1969 graduate of Sumner and a 1973 graduate of Missouri Baptist who years ago dreamed the dream – of helping kids, of going above and beyond the call of duty.

Certainly, his athletic career is something special. Sumner not only inducted him into its Hall of Fame but named him one of its top 50 greatest players, as Brown helped lead the team to the Class L state title in 1969.

He also is in the Hall of Fame at Missouri Baptist, where Brown ranks fourth all-time in scoring (1,641 points) and 10^th in assists and still holds single-game records for scoring (46 points) and field goals (18).

Brown points to Bennie Moore, an older player in his neighborhood, for readying him for varsity basketball. High school coaches John Algee and John Smith, along with Missouri Baptist coach Art Siebels became even more important.

“They really, really guided me,” Brown said. “I was always a good student in high school and at Missouri Baptist University. I am forever grateful to those individuals.”

Brown was 137-85 as Sumner High School’s boys basketball coach (1979-1988) and then spent 21 years in administration at various schools.

For a time, he was principal of Beaumont High School, where he created “Breakfast with Brown” in which community leaders and parents met and crafted ways to enhance student academic success. The school’s Finance Academy once took third in the nation in a stock market contest.

Brown also didn’t shy away in the 2000s when treatment of concussions came to the forefront in sports.

MSHSAA instituted the “Return to Play Protocol” rule for coaches and trainers and added the motto of “When in doubt, sit them out.” All SLPS coaches were required to meet annually with nurses and trainers.

Among his numerous academic and professional awards are: the Brain Injury Association of Missouri Service Excellence Public Awareness Award; the MSHSAA Distinguished Service Award and MSHSAA’s highest honor, the Irwin A. Keller Award for men and women throughout the state who have made life-long contributions to high school activities.

Additionally, he has received the St. Louis Argus “Distinguished Citizens” Award; the 100 Black Men of St. Louis Trail Blazer Award; and the St. Louis American Salute to Excellence in Education Award.

“It was extremely rewarding,” Brown said of his career. “I look at it in these terms: I had the opportunity to interact with so many as a basketball player and as a coach and administrator. But they had an impact on me as well.”