The first Tabor College football squad, with coach Stu Brynn at the helm, poses for a photo in fall 1967. By 1962 Athletic Director Del Reimer had recognized that the solution to the scheduling difficulties with other college teams lay in joining the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, but KCAC membership was contingent on starting varsity football. When Reimer broached the topic with President Roy Just, he was told, “Del, you can have football on two conditions. One, you will need to convince the faculty. Two, you will need to raise enough funds to cover the difference in costs between the current soccer program and sending a fully equipped football team out onto the field.” Reimer went to work on both issues. When the faculty had been persuaded, Reimer found funding for equipment. Uniforms for the first 40 players came from the Reimer family business.
This anecdote is included in “Tabor College: A Century of Transformation 1908-2008,” the history of the college commissioned for this year’s centennial celebration. The book can be purchased for $48.39 (tax included) plus $5 for shipping. Call 620-947-3121 ext. 1212 for information or orders.
