Botts, Thomas W. (1904-1999), Papers, 1912-1981 (C2686)
3.2 linear feet
INTRODUCTION
Correspondence, training information, and track meet programs, of University of Missouri track and cross-country coach Thomas W. Botts.
DONOR INFORMATION
The Botts papers were donated to the University of Missouri on November 11, 1998 by his son, Thomas M. Botts (Accession No. 5777).
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Thomas W. Botts was born in Mexico, Missouri, on March 28, 1904, the son of Thomas and Mary Wilson Botts. He graduated in 1927 from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, where he excelled as an all-conference hurdler. In 1931 he graduated from the University of Kansas with a Master's Degree in history and did further graduate work in physical education at the University of Iowa. Botts married Virginia Mullinax on August 30, 1929, and they later had one son, Thomas.
Coach Botts began his coaching career at Ruskin High School, Hickman Mills, Missouri, in 1927 and then coached at Fort Scott (Kansas) Junior College from 1932 to 1941. In 1941 he joined the University of Missouri coaching staff as an assistant track coach and assumed the head coaching position in 1946. During his 26-year tenure as head coach, Botts led the Tigers to four outdoor conference titles, four indoor track championships, two Big-Eight cross-country titles, and the 1965 national indoor track championship. While building a nationally recognized track and field program, Coach Botts also mentored 48 individual conference champions, 23 All-Americans, five national champions, and two Olympians. He retired in 1972 after 31 years of service to the University of Missouri and was granted the status of professor emeritus.
Along with his coaching duties Botts also served on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Track Rules
committee, was a president of the NCAA Cross Country Coaches Association and, and was an assistant coach with the 1961 U.S. track team, which completed an undefeated tour of Europe. During his career Botts garnered various awards and honors including the 1970 cross country coach of the year and inductions into the Missouri State Sports Hall of Fame, the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame, Westminster College's Intercollegiate Who's Who, and the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. Coach Botts died in Columbia, Missouri, on March 1, 1999.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The Botts Papers are arranged into four series:
FOLDER LIST
The Personal series contains correspondence and speeches arranged chronologically. Most of the correspondence pertains to Botts' professional life, though there are personal notes and letters from family and friends throughout the papers. The correspondence ends abruptly in 1976 at the end of his professional career as a coach and referee.
| f. 1 | Correspondence, 1944-1956 |
| f. 2 | Correspondence, 1958 January-August |
| f. 3 | Correspondence, 1958 November-1959 December |
| f. 4 | Correspondence, 1960 |
| f. 5 | Correspondence, 1961-1962 |
| f. 6 | Correspondence, 1963-1964 |
| f. 7-8 | Correspondence, 1965 |
| f. 9 | Correspondence, 1966 |
| f. 10 | Correspondence, 1967 |
| f. 11 | Correspondence, 1968 |
| f. 12 | Correspondence, 1969 |
| f. 13 | Correspondence, 1970 |
| f. 14 | Correspondence, 1971 |
| f. 15 | Correspondence, 1972 |
| f. 16 | Correspondence, 1972 (Munich, Germany Trip) |
| f. 17 | Correspondence, 1973 |
| f. 18 | Correspondence, 1974-1976 |
| f. 19 | Correspondence, n.d. |
| f. 20-22 | Speeches, 1950-1981, n.d. |
The Professional series comprises meeting minutes, class material, notes, and team rosters, arranged alphabetically by name or subject. The track and cross-country material contains results for various meets and championships. Also included are photographs of Botts and the Missouri track team, as well as the blueprints for the Memorial Stadium building project in 1956.
| f. 23-28 | National Track and Field Rules Committee, 1966-1971 |
| f. 29-33 | National Collegiate Cross Country Coaches Association, 1958-1969 |
| f. 34 | National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, 1960s |
| f. 35 | National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, 1969 |
| f. 36 | Physical Education #107-Major Sports, 1947-1950 |
| f. 37-38 | Physical Education #107-Major Sports, 1971 |
| f. 39 | Physical Education #107-Major Sports (Pole Vault), 1971 |
| f. 40 | Physical Education #107-Major Sports, 1972 |
| f. 41 | Physical Education #107-Major Sports (miscellaneous), n.d. |
| f. 42 | Physical Education Activity Instruction Folder, 1954-1956 |
| f. 43 | Track Clinic Notes, 1950s-1960s |
| f. 44 | University of Missouri Track Rosters, 1950s-1960s |
| f. 45 | All-Time Amateur Track and Field Roll, 1938 |
| f. 46 | AAU European Tour, 1961 |
| f. 47 | Army Track Meet, 1956,1960, and 1961 |
| f. 48-49 | Big Eight Track and Field Championships, May 13-14, 1966 |
| f. 50 | Big Eight Track and Field Championships, May 18-19, 1973 |
| f. 51 | Big Eight Track and Cross-Country Results, 1959-1979 |
| f. 52-53 | Big Seven Track and Field Championship, May 18-19, 1951 |
| f. 54 | Drake Relays, 1949-1962 |
| f. 55 | Michigan State Relays, 1960 |
| f. 56 | Missouri Valley Conference Records, 1912-1958 |
| f. 57 | NCAA Cross-Country Championship, 1965-1972 |
| f. 58 | NCAA Indoor Track Championship, 1960 |
| f. 59 | NCAA Indoor Track Championship, 1967 |
| f. 60 | NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, June 15-16, 1951 |
| f. 61 | NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, June 17-18, 1960 |
| f. 62 | NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, 1967 |
| f. 63 | Photographs |
| f. 64 | Photographs, unidentified, n.d. |
| f. 65 | Track Specifications and Blueprints for Memorial Stadium, 1956 |
The Publications series consists of track and cross-country programs from track meets across the United States, including the NCAA and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships. The programs are an excellent source of information on intercollegiate athletics and the early status of track and field in the United States. One item of historical
significance is the 1932 Olympics Games official program for the games held in Los Angeles, California. University of
Missouri publications and track and field training materials are also in this series.
| f. 66 | Big 7 and Big 8 Track and Cross Country Championships, 1954-1960, 1970, 1972 |
| f. 67 | Central Collegiate Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship, 1950-1956 |
| f. 68 | Central Collegiate Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship, 1956-1960 |
| f. 6971 | Drake Relays (Des Moines, Iowa), 1944-1971 |
| f. 72-73 | Kansas Relays, 1950-1973 |
| f. 74 | Michigan State Relays, 1956, 1958, and 1960 |
| f. 75-77 | National Amateur Athletic Union Track and Field Championships, 1931-1967 |
| f. 78 | NCAA Cross Country Championships, 1948-1960 |
| f. 79-82 | NCAA Track and Field Championships, 1938-1947, 1949-1972 |
| f. 83 | Olympic Trials (United States), Olympic Handbook, and Olympic Program, 1932, 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960 |
| f. 84 | Texas Relays, 1954-1958 |
| f. 85 | Miscellaneous Programs, 1950s |
| f. 86 | Miscellaneous Programs, 1960s |
| f. 87 | A Comparative History of the Drake and Kansas Relay, Karl L. England, 1958 |
| f. 88 | Tales of the Tiger, 1918-1919 |
| f. 89 | Training for Track and Field |
| f. 90-92 | Training Books |
| f. 93-94 | University of Missouri, Athletic Department Policy Manual, c. 1960s |
| f. 95 | University of Missouri Song Book, c. 1929 |
| f. 96 | Miscellaneous Publications, 1950s-1970s |
The Miscellaneous series includes a scrapbook, Big Eight track meet results, and Botts' practice journals for the 1952 to 1970 seasons. The journals, which are on note cards, contain information on the weather conditions, practices, and the individuals participating.
| f. 97 | Scrapbook, track meet results |
| Box 1-3 | Practice journals |
| Box 1 | Outdoor Track, 1952 May 3-May 24
Outdoor Track, 1954 March 15-June 18
Indoor Track, 1957 November 25-1958 March 1
Outdoor Track, 1965 March 1-June 19
Fall Track, 1965 September 13-1966 January 13
Indoor Track, 1965 November 29-1966 March 12
Outdoor Track, 1966 February 28-June 18 |
| Box 2 | Fall Track and Cross Country, 1966 September 12-November 22
Indoor Track, 1966 November 28-1967 March 11
Outdoor Track, 1967 March 6-June 23
Fall Cross Country, 1967 September 21-November 27
Indoor Track, 1967 November 27-1968 February 12
Outdoor Track, 1968 February 12-June 29 |
| Box 3 | Fall Track, 1968 September 16-November 26
Indoor Track, 1969 January 14-February 25
Outdoor Track, 1969 February 26-June 21
Fall Track, 1969 September 18-November 24
Indoor Track, 1969 November 24-1970 March 14
Outdoor Track, 1970 March 2-July 4 |
INDEX TERMS
These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.
- A. A. U.-N. C. A. A. controversy
- Amateur Athletic Union
- Beard, Harold Pete
- Big Eight Cross Country Meet Results, 1959-1979
- Big Eight Track and Field Championships
- Big Eight Track and Field Meet Results, 1959-1979
- Big Seven Track and Field Championships
- Bill Rawson Memorial
- Botts, Thomas W. (1904-1999)
- Botts, Thomas W. (1904-1999)
- Botts, Virginia (1904-1994)
- Churchill, Winston (1874-1965)
- Constantine, Bill
- Dealey, Ted
- Devine, Dan (1924-2002)
- Faurot, Don (1902-1995)
- Hamilton, Brutus (1900-1970)
- Indiana University Track Team
- Israel--Description and Travel--1953
- Kansas Relays, 1965
- Lingle, Robin
- McClure, Bill
- Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- National Collegiate Athletic Association
- National Collegiate Athletic Association Cross Country Championships
- National Collegiate Athletic Association Track and Field Indoor Championships
- National Collegiate Athletic Association Track and Field Rules Committee
- National Collegiate Athletic Association--Outdoor Track and Field Championships
- National Collegiate Cross Country Coaches Association
- National Collegiate Track Coaches Association
- Ogden, Glenn
- Olympic Games
- Olympic Games, 1932
- Olympic Games, 1972
- Physical Education and Training--1940s, 1970s
- Rawson, Bill (1942 -1967)
- Rawson, Mimi
- Rawson, Ralph
- Rawson, William
- Simpson, Chauncey
- St. John The Divine Cathedral Church, New York City, New York
- Track athletics--California Relays
- Track athletics--Central Collegiate Conference
- Track athletics--Drake Relays
- Track athletics--Hurdling
- Track athletics--Kansas Relays
- Track athletics--Michigan State Relays
- Track athletics--Missouri Valley Conference--Records
- Track athletics--Pole Vault
- Track athletics--Relay
- Track athletics--Texas Relays
- Track athletics--Training
- Track-athletics--Shotput
- Truman, Harry S (1884-1972)
- United States Military Academy--Army Athletic Association
- United States Olympic Committee
- United States Track and Field Federation
- University of California-Berkeley
- University of Missouri--Baseball, 1970s
- University of Missouri--Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
- University of Missouri--Memorial Stadium
- University of Missouri--Physical education and training, 1940s, 1970s
- University of Missouri--Songs
- University of Missouri--Track athletics
- Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975
- Weather--Missouri, Columbia, 1952-1970
- Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri
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