ESKRIDGE, Jack W. ~ Graceland's Hall of Fame

ESKRIDGE, MORTON, HEIL, THEDERAHN, KOBUSZEWSKI, DICKSON, WILLIFORD

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 8/25/2013 at 03:53:55

HALL of FAME

Jack W. Eskridge
Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa

Jack W. ESKRIDGE was an outstanding athlete for the Yellowjackets from 1941-1943. An end on the gridiron and post player on the court, he excelled at both football and basketball.

After college, he served in the Marines where he was a player and coach for the "Camp Caitlin Bulldogs" who boasted a 37-1 record. He then set a school record at the University of Kansas by scoring 30 points in one half against Nebraska.

After playing two years of professional basketball for he NBA's Chicago Stags and Indianapolis Jets, he returned to KU to serve as assistant basketball coach during Wilt Chamberlain's college career.

ESKRIDGE was later named equipment manager and purchasing agent for the Dallas Cowboys football team, a position he held for 13 years. He continued this career as a successful high school athletic director, football and basketball coach.

Jack W. ESKRIDGE was inducted into Graceland University's Hall of Fame in 1990.

~ ~ ~ ~

The Examiner, Independence, Missouri
February 13, 2013

Obituary ~ John W. "Jack" Eskridge

VALLEY FALLS, KS - Jack ESKRIDGE, 89 of Valley Falls, Kan., passed away Monday, February 11, 2013, at Centerpoint Medical Center.

Jack Eskridge, 89 of Valley Falls, Kan., passed away Monday, February 11, 2013, at Centerpoint Medical Center. The family will greet friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday evening at the Carson-Speaks Chapel, 1501 W. Lexington Ave., Independence, MO 64052. Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Saturday, February 16, 2013, at the chapel. Burial will follow in Mound Grove Cemetery.

He graduated from William Chrisman High where he played basketball, then went to Graceland College where he played football and basketball and was inducted into the sports hall of fame. Jack then joined the Marines and witnessed both flag raisings of Iwo Jima, went to KU and played basketball. Jack also played two years professional basketball with the Chicago Stags and Indianapolis Jets.

After graduation Jack coached the Kansas League Champions at Atchison High. "Phog" Allen recruited Jack to be an Assistant Basketball Coach and equipment manager for KU from 1954-1959, where he recruited Wilt Chamberlain.

In 1959 he was hired by Tom Landry to be the Dallas Cowboys equipment manager (1960-1973) where he designed the Star on the helmet. His love for teaching and coaching brought him back to Richardson, Texas, for 10 years.

Afterwards he moved to Independence, Mo., to teach at Englewood Christian Academy. Later, he moved to Valley Falls, Kan., to retire, but was asked to assist coaching and teaching at Jeff West High.

Jack was always the center of attention with strangers when he showed his Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Ring. Jack was a "True American Hero."

He is survived by his loving wife Carol, her two sons (Danny and Del MORTON), daughters Debbie THEDERAHN and Carrie HEIL. His two sons Butch and Scott ESKRIDGE and two daughters Denise KOBUSZEWSKI and Debra DICKSON. Grandkids Tara, Cassie, Zack, Shay, and Katie ESKRIDGE, Amanda WILLIFORD. Brian DICKSON, Bo and Gates KOBUSZEWSKI and his 4 great-grandchildren.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.speakschapel.com

Arrangements: Carson-Speaks Chapel; 816-252-7900.

~ ~ ~ ~

NFL.com, February 13, 2013

Jack Eskridge, designer of Dallas Cowboys' logo, dies

Associated Press - DALLAS -- The man credited with designing the famed blue star logo of the Dallas Cowboys has died.

The Cowboys say Jack ESKRIDGE died Monday at a Valley Falls, Kan., hospital. The funeral for the 89-year-old former Cowboys equipment manager is scheduled for Saturday morning at Carson-Speaks Chapel in Independence, Mo.

According to the team website, ESKRIDGE was one of coach Tom Landry's first hires in 1959, the year before the Cowboys' debut season. It was he who designed the white-bordered blue star used after the Cowboys began with a white star.

ESKRIDGE will forever be linked in sports history by designing one of the simplest yet most widely recognized logos not just here in America, but around the world.

ESKRIDGE remained with the Cowboys until 1973.

SOURCE: gujackets.com/f/Hall_of_Fame.php

Transcriptions and Submission by Sharon R Becker, August of 2013

Decatur Biographies maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen