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E CURTIS A. KOCH, DIRECTOR ROBERT ECCLEFIELD, CLERK E. A. WATKINS, TREASURER

WELDA RURAL HIGH SCHOOL

CLASS A
EDUCATION FOR CITIZENSHIP
“ LEE CORDER, PRINCICAL

WELDA, KANSAS
1-7-46

Drs Fe Ce Abion,

varsity Basketball Coach,
University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kansas.

Dear Dr, “Aiien:?

Thank you for your kind and frank letter of January S. it Bas deen
good to have had the grand and splendid consideration from you that has
‘been shown in the past three years. Dean has had a rich and enduring
experience that he will cherish the rest of his Lite.

of course it is a great disappointment for Dean to close his
basketball career in quite this manner. But Dean is a considerate
boy. He will understand and always will be mindful of your great
friendship and helpfulness. Basketball. has been Dean's great and
abiding interest. To him there never has been but one university
and one coach. Ever sincebenhas been a child he has had your "My
Basketball, Bible" in his possession. He used to sit for hours looking
at the pictures and listening to the stories in the book being read to
him. Later when your book "Better Basketball" came out he has always
kept it close at hand and often referred to it.

Dean has sacrificed much for basketball and has gained all that
he has accomplished entirely on his own merits. He has played lots of
basketball. He was a regular on the grade and high school team ever |
since he was in the fifth grade. During those eight years he averaged
over twenty games each year. He always succeeded in helping to produce
a winning and successful team. The records show that hts teams have
won over 90% of their games. The four years he was in high school Welda
won twenty four consecutive games in the league and tournament. Welda
gained a high standing in this section, winning in that time over twenty
trophies. During his senior year, besides winning the Regional Tournament
and going to the finals in the State Semi-finals, Welda held victories
over all the schools in this part of the state, defeating A and double
A teams as well as the smaller schools. This was accomplished with a
limited number of reserves which placed an exceptionally heavy respon-
sibilty on him.

Dean always sparked his team from the quarterback position and
carried the major part of the scoring. He scored 515 points his senior
year against the best of high school teams. But it was Dean's defensive
play and his ability to analyze the opponents play that was worth more
to his team than his scoring.

I have felt that it would be only justice to him and to what he has
given basketball if he could finish¢his basketball career in a little
more successful manner. But he will take whatever comes in due stride.
He carries much deep thought and emotions that only he will ever know.

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