Men's Track and Field | 3/17/2023 12:13:00 PM

March 17, 2023- Emporia State Athletics mourns the passing of school record holder, former athletic director and Hall of Honor member Bill Tidwell who passed away on March 16 at the age of 90.
 
Growing up in Kiowa, Kan, Tidwell was an all-around athlete. He played half-back in football and guided the basketball team to the state tournament in 1950, but in track, Bill Tidwell was a standout and earned the nickname the "Kiowa Flyer."

Tidwell was heralded as one of the top middle-distance runners in the United States when running on the Emporia State track and cross country teams from 1953-57.  He was a four-time NAIA champion in track and field, winning the 880 yards and the mile in 1955 and the 800m and 1500m at the 1956 championships. He led the Hornets to a national runner-up finish in the team standings at the 1955 NAIA National Championships.  During his career, he held the NAIA national record in both the 880y and 1500m.  He was a three-time All-American in cross country.
 
Tidwell's marks have stood the test of time for nearly 70 years. His time of 1:47.61 in the 800m at the AAU National Championships in 1955 is still the Hornet record in the event. It is the longest held record in Emporia State history. He is still ranked third outdoors in the 1500m with a time of 3:45.34 in Finland in 1956. His time of 4:06.44 at the 1956 Boston Games is still ranked third in the indoor mile as his 1:52.09 in the indoor 800m at Kansas State in 1956.

Tidwell was also an outstanding cross country runner. During his final two years at Emporia State, he won 12 of the 14 cross country races he competed in. He was a three-time All-American, finishing sixth as a sophomore, tenth as a junior and was the runner-up for the 1956 NAIA National Championship as a senior.

Following his collegiate career, Tidwell became a teacher, coach, and administrator, affecting the lives of thousands of athletes. He was named the Physical Education Department Chair at Oberlin College in Ohio in 1959 before returning to Emporia State as Chairman of the Physical Education Department and the Athletic Director in 1971. He served as the Athletic Director at Emporia State from 1971-79 and was the cross country and track & field coach until 1984.

Tidwell was in the inaugural class of the Drake Relays Hall of Fame in 1959, named to the NAIA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1963, the Emporia State Athletic Hall of Honor in 1982, and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
 
The family intends to organize a celebration of his life later this year. The family requests no flowers. A memorial has been established to the Bill and Kathy Tidwell Family Track and Field Scholarship at Emporia State.