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Retired Victoria educator hopes to preserve legacy of Southwest Conference

  • Photo by PHOTOS: JONATHAN HINDERLITER/JHINDERLITER@VICAD.CO •
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Bill Dunn rummages through his collection of football books and magazines in search of a book on Doak Walker at his Victoria home on Sunday. Dunn says he considers Walker, who played for Southern Methodist University during his college years, to be "the finest football players at that time."
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  • Originally published January 25, 2012 at 10:27 p.m., updated January 25, 2012 at 10:27 p.m.

  • Southwest Conference

  • Founded: Dec. 8, 1914Original Members: Arkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma (State) A&M, Rice, Southwestern, Texas, Texas A&M

    Other Members: SMU, Phillips, TCU, Texas Tech, HoustonCoaches: Dana X. Bible, Paul "Bear" Bryant, Darrell Royal, Frank Broyles, Hayden Fry, Lou Holtz, Bill ...

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    • Southwest Conference

    Founded: Dec. 8, 1914Original Members: Arkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma (State) A&M, Rice, Southwestern, Texas, Texas A&M

    Other Members: SMU, Phillips, TCU, Texas Tech, HoustonCoaches: Dana X. Bible, Paul "Bear" Bryant, Darrell Royal, Frank Broyles, Hayden Fry, Lou Holtz, Bill Yeoman, Gene Stallings, Grant TeaffPlayers: Davey O'Brien, Sammy Baugh, Bobby Layne, Doak Walker, Tom Landry, Don Meredith, Earl Campbell, Andre Ware, Mike Singletary, Lance Alworth, and Eric DickersonDisbanded: May 1996

Bill Dunn was rummaging through boxes in a storage shed when he came across the mother lode.

Dunn didn't find cash or a diamond ring, but something much more valuable to a rabid college football fan.

The videotapes of Southwest Conference highlight shows Dunn discovered might as well have been gold.

Dunn and Jimmy Lyles shared a passion for college football growing up in Franklin and as students at Baylor.

The friendship lasted until Lyles passed away a day after Dunn's birthday in 2000.

When Lyles' widow, Patsy, recently moved from their home in Waco, she asked Dunn to check out what was in the two sheds behind their house.

Dunn is still accounting for the videotapes, which have become part of an impressive memorabilia collection at his and wife, Pat's, Victoria home, and he has one more shed to examine.

Dunn's trove includes numerous issues of Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine and Sports Illustrated - he obtained 12 copies of the first issue for 75 cents apiece.

But the crown jewel of Dunn's collection are items from the Southwest Conference, which faded into history after the 1995-96 season.

The videotapes Lyles saved fit right in with the signed footballs of former high school and college players, magazines, programs and posters from the days when Dunn and Lyles caught a ride to College Station to watch a game or made one of their regular visits to Half Price Books.

All Dunn has to do is slide a tape into the VCR and the black-and-white image of Texas A&M Heisman Trophy winning running back John David Crow running for a touchdown comes alive.

Even better for Dunn, a 1954 Baylor graduate, is a videotape of the Bears' 1974 Southwest Conference championship season, which is known to Baylor fans as the "Miracle on the Brazos."

The highlight shows are narrated by the late Kern Tips and filled with his cornpone expressions and shameless plugs for Humble Oil Company.

Dunn's collection has grown so massive, it dots nearly every room of his home and has spilled into his garage.

The first item Dunn saved was his scorecard from a Texas-Texas A&M baseball game he attended in College Station in which NFL Hall of Famer Bobby Layne pitched for the Longhorns.

Dunn insists "anything I kept meant a lot to me."

But there's no doubt he has an affinity for the magazines in which SMU's Heisman Trophy winning running back Doak Walker graces the cover.

Dunn will turn 79 in March, and while anyone who has stepped on a racquetball court with him knows better than to question his stamina, he has begun to ponder what he wants to do with his collection.

He has considered a book sale, but hopes to pass at least part of his collection to his grandchildren.

Dunn worked as an educator and was an assistant principal at Stroman High School when he retired.

His biggest concern is preserving the legacy of the Southwest Conference for future generations of football fans.

Dunn hopes his collection will play a role in keeping the memory of the SWC alive.

"It was a part of my life," he said. "It's been a part of so many people's lives. It's important that people do know what it is."

Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361- 580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.



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