Bill Tidwell passed away on March 16, 2023, due to complications from cancer. He was born April 8, 1932, in Kiowa, Kansas, to Helen Mae Shafer Tidwell and William Lawrence Tidwell.

The youngest of six children, Bill spent his early years on the family farm outside of Kiowa. In the 1940s his brothers entered the armed services and his father passed away, leaving 10-year-old Bill with his mother and sister, Helen June, on the homestead. At Kiowa High, he emerged as an outstanding athlete and the state's premier young miler, beating Wes Santee in the 1950 State High School Meet and breaking the record set in 1930 by Glenn Cunningham.

In 1951, Bill married Margie Clark and the couple moved to northern California where Bill completed his basic training. In the Army, he competed in track meets at military bases and universities across the country, specializing in the half-mile and winning the event at numerous competitions including the all Army and all-Service meets. In 1954, his rivalry with Wes Santee resumed as Bill defeated his fellow Kansan in the half-mile at an inter-service meet in North Carolina.

In 1955, Bill and Margie moved to Emporia, and welcomed the birth of their first son, Rick. At Kansas State Teachers College, Bill emerged as one of the top five half-milers in the world, winning four NAIA championships and competing in invitationals around the country. After graduating, he moved with his family to New York City to pursue a doctorate at Columbia University. While studying, he also taught and coached at Hunter College, but he was soon recruited by Oberlin College as Chair of their Physical Education Department, Athletic Director and coach of the track and cross-country teams.

Bill and his family called Oberlin, home for more than a decade, welcoming two more boys to the family, Lon (1960) and Dale (1962). In 1971 they returned to Emporia and Bill was named Chair of the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation as well as Director of Athletics at Emporia State University. After twelve years, Bill stepped down as Department Chair and became head coach of the track and field and cross-country teams. In the late 1970s, Bill and Margie separated.

In 1982 Bill married Kathy Clemmons and together they moved to a farm south of Emporia. Bill retired from Emporia State University in 1994, but his passion for animals and conservation kept him busy. He has been inducted into the NAIA, Drake Relays, Emporia State, and Kansas Sports Halls of Fame. His 1955 record of 1:47.61 remains the fastest 800m ever run by an Emporia State athlete.

Bill was preceded in death by his mother, father, siblings, and eldest son as well as his first wife.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy; his sons, Lon and Dale, their wives Anita and Sharon; Rick's wife, Sarah; and his grandchildren, Philip, Chris, Rebecca, Gail, and Olivia as well as their spouses and five great-grandchildren.

Bill's family intends to organize a celebration of his life later this year.

The family requests no flowers.

A memorial has been established to the Bill and Kathy Tidwell Family Track and Field Scholarship at Emporia State