Coffeyville Community College (CCC) honored Wendall Goodwin and Eddie Dismore Black at the annual Distinguished Alumni and Friends Banquet on Friday, October 30.

Both Goodwin and Black were on the first team to help build one of the most outstanding cross country and track program, under Coach Dean Pryor. The two played an integral part in creating scholarship for track athletes at CCC.

Goodwin attended CCC in 1957-1959, where he participated in Football and Track. He went on to attend the University of Arkansas on a cross country and track scholarship. After several years of coach and teaching in high school, Goodwin was accepted into medical school at the University of Kansas, where he graduated in the top 10% of his class. He was trained as a cancer specialist and went on to practice in Springfield, Missouri. Goodwin also spent three years serving for the United States Air Force.

Black attended CCC in 1957-1959 where he was a football manager and trainer. He also lettered in outdoor track and cross country and was a two time JUCO All-American in track and field.  Black went on to attend the University of Arkansas on a track scholarship. After college, Black worked for the American National Red Cross as an assistant field director to military instillations. He later moved to Northeast Arkansas and was part owner of Hays Grocery Stores. He retired in 2002.

Wendall Goodwin Biography

Wendall enrolled in Coffeyville Community College in the fall of 1957 after graduating from Edna High School in the spring of 1957. Wendall's graduating class consisted of 13 students. At Coffeyville, he participated in football in the fall of 1957 and 1958, and in track in the spring of 1958 and 1959.

In track, Wendall was fortunate to participate with several outstanding individuals. Under Coach Dean Pryor, the team set multiple school records and KU Relay records. The Ravens won regional and state championships, and placed fifth and seventh in the national meet, and were the building blocks of one of the outstanding track and cross country programs in the nation under Coach Pryor.

After graduating from Coffeyville, Wendall was awarded a track and cross country scholarship at the University of Arkansas where he ran on the distance medley relay team that placed in the Texas Relays and was third in the 880-yard run at the Southwest Conference meet.

After several years of coaching and teaching in high school, Wendall was accepted into medical school at the University of Kansas where he graduated in the top ten percent of his class. He was trained as a cancer specialist. He then spent three years in the Air Force and then entered practice as a cancer specialist in Springfield, Mo. In Springfield, he was the director of a federally funded cancer research program until retirement from full-time practice. Wendall still works part-time as a cancer specialist.

Eddie Black Biography

Eddie was born in Pea Ridge, Ark., and graduated from Bentonville High School in 1957. Eddie attended Coffeyville Junior College from 1957 to 1959, and graduated with an A.A. degree in 1959. While at Coffeyville, he was the football manager and trainer for two years, lettered in outdoor track two years and cross country one year. He was a two-time NJCAA All-American in track and field, and was also a member of record-breaking relay teams.

Eddie then attended the University of Arkansas on a track scholarship from 1959 to 1961. He ran on two record-breaking relay teams, and was a member of the 1959 Southwest Conference cross country team. Eddie graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1961 with a B.S. degree in education.

After college, Eddie worked a year for the American National Red Cross as an assistant field director to military installations at El Paso, Texas, and Fort Smith, Ark. He then worked a year for Arkansas Best Freight Systems as the terminal night dock manager in Dallas, Texas.

From 1963 to 2002, Eddie was with the Hays Grocery Stores in Northeast Arkansas as part owner. In lived in Osceola, Arkansas for 39 years and during that time he served on the Osceola Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 1977 to 2002, and served as Vice-Chairman and Secretary of the Chamber Board. He was awarded the "Don Whitney Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award" in 1989.

Eddie was a member of the Osceola Rotary Club from 1974 to 2002 with 28 years of perfect attendance. He served as Vice-President in 1988-1989 and President in 1989-1990. He was selected as a "Paul Harris Fellow" in 1983 and was Osceola Rotarian of the Year in 2002.

Other boards that Eddie served on included: Arkansas Grocer Association State Board (1982-1995); East Arkansas Planning Committee Community Housing Board (1975-1984); First National Board of Directors (1984-1995); First Christian Church Board (1967-2002); Northeast Community College Foundation Board (1985-2002).

Eddie retired in 2002 and moved to Northwest Arkansas to live closer to he and his wife's two daughters.