Fred Elder, An Early Life Journey

Editor’s Note: Fred Elder’s story of influential teachers and his athletic and academic careers is in the top five most-read stories on this website, reprinted now as one of the Top 20 of 2020.

Even prior to my entering Wichita High School East, I knew I wanted to be a college football player.  I started working out seriously in intermediate school with that specific goal in mind.  I also knew I wanted to pursue a profession and career that would allow me to be creative and design interesting machines.  East High moved me forward in many respects.  Coach Jim Barger (now in the Wichita East Sports Hall of Fame) helped me learn the game of football and kept me working out in both winter and spring by requiring me to wrestle and compete in track.  John Hamilton’s mother, who taught math, helped me realize I had some math abilities with her careful tutelage through Plane Geometry.  So, East High guided my abilities to play competitive football and to learn to do those things that allowed me to be an aspiring engineer at the time I graduated from East High.

I was fortunate to receive offers to play football on an athletic scholarship from several universities.  I chose the University of Kansas.  “Why?’” one might ask. In the winter of my senior year at East, I returned home from wrestling practice one night tired and hungry. “Well,” my mother said, “Guess who was just here today?” I told her I did not know, perhaps the postman, or something equally non-serious.  She responded, “Jack and Jean.”  I explained to her that I had no clue who Jack and Jean were and she then responded, “Coach Mitchell and his wife.” She said that they had been in the area and just stopped by for coffee and cookies;” my mother added that she thought I should go to school at KU. Coach Mitchell was a major reason for my choosing KU.  He was a fabulous recruiter and knew immediately what to say, whether it was a joke or a story about his Sunday school. He was a classic salesman and a wonderful coach!

I have many great memories from KU, many of which were friendships – the comradery of the football team, the members of my Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and my friends in the engineering program. The best moment playing football occurred in 1964 when we beat Oklahoma:  Gale Sayers ran the opening kickoff back and we scored on the last play of the game.

I was fortunate to be on the field for all four years of Gale Sayers’ football career at KU. He was a phenomenal player whom one could never tackle – at least not squarely.  A concerted effort of several players might bring him down, but he had lightning speed and moves that were almost faster than one’s eye could follow. 

Gale was married during his time at KU, and consequently he spent little time with team members off the field. He was a true football phenomenon and was as strong off the field as well as on the field, giving back to team members and KU after his time on the field in Lawrence.

In my senior year at KU, I was selected as the first Academic All-American in KU football history.  That honor is a source of pride and makes me feel indebted to Don Pierce, the football sports information director for football at that time. He was a highly competent person who did his job well.  I am sure in some significant measure that I owe my Academic All-American recognition to Don Pierce.  I am honored that he selected me for that first award.  It also gives me satisfaction to know that I started a path that other highly successful young people have followed with their achievements both on the athletic field and in the classroom.

Fred Elder – Fred Freeman when at East High

Editor’s Note: A participant in many activities at East High, Fred was also a leader. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Student Congress and as president of the Letterman’s Club. He also appeared in a number of skits for student assemblies.