HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommendation John WoodenRESOLUTION
3765-07
Passed by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana
July 23, 20 07
Attest: ,~- ~~S-~~~ ~~.~_ ~ City Clerk
~/ ,
~"~~ .President of Common Council
Presented by me to the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana
July 24, 20 07
July 25. 20 ~~
Approved and signed by me
City Clerk
Mayor
RESOLUTION NO. 3 7 bS'p
A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA,
PUBLICLY COMMENDING AND HONORING COACH JOHN WOODEN BY FORMALLY NAMING
THE JOHN WOODEN WALKWAY BY THE FORMER CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL IN HIS HONOR
"~~~, the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana, notes that John Robert Wooden
was born on October 14, 1910 on his parents' farm near Centerville, Indiana, where they lived with neither
running water nor electricity; and
"~-, in 1924, the Wooden Family went bankrupt and lost their family farm, but these tough
years, Coach Wooden would later credit as providing him with the experiences to instill the habits of
discipline and hard work, which he would use as the keystone to his most successful coaching career; and
"~1Z, the Wooden Family moved to Martinsville, where John Wooden excelled on his high school
basketball team, which went to the state championship three (3) years in a row and won twice; and
"~l~~, John Wooden entered Purdue University to study civil engineering, but graduated as an
English major in 1932, while earning a "reputation as a fearless player of dazzling speed"; he made All-
American three (3) years; was the Captain of the Purdue Basketball Team in 1931 and 1932, while leading
the Boilermakers to two (2) Big Ten Championships and the 1932 National Basketball Championship; all of
which won him a place in the Basketball Hall of Fame; and
"~<~, in 1933, John Wooden and his bride of one year, Nellie, moved to South Bend, Indiana,
where he taught English and coached the basketball team at South Bend Central High School with a record
of 218 wins and only 42 losses; and also coached baseball and tennis; while having his coaching career
interrupted to serve in the United States Navy during World War II; and
"~h~~, Coach Wooden is the first person to be inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame
as both a player & a coach; noting that in his 40-Season All-Time Coaching Record Coach Wooden won 885
games, lost 203 with an overall winning percentage of .813; which included a record of 620-147 at UCLA.
c~/l~~ ~~~, ~ ~t ,~G„ed, by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana, as
follows:
Section I. On behalf of all of the citizens of the City of South Bend, Indiana, the Common Council
hereby publicly commends and congratulates COACH JOHN R. WOODEN, and are humbled to formally
name the JOHN WOODEN WALKWAY BY THE FORMER CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL IN HIS
HONOR, with a press conference having been held on Juiy 6, 2007 with Central High School alumni,
teachers, coaches and players in attendance to commemorate this legendary man, who we call our own.
Section II The Council notes that Coach Wooden, who developed "The Pyramid of Success" which
focuses on "competitive greatness, poise, confidence, conditioning, skill, team spirit, self-control, alertness,
initiative, intentness, industriousness, friendship, loyalty, cooperation, enthusiasm and honesty" has touched
so many lives and has been an inspiration to thousands, and especially his countless number of friends and
South Bend Central High School alumni in South Bend, Indiana.
Section III .The South Bend Common Council gratefully honors Coach Wooden, a man of
impeccable commitment, conviction and integrity, both on the basketball court and in life, who is truly an
inspiration to us all.
Sectio 's utiol
Co '1 a r y t ayor.
ek D. Dieter,, l st istrict
_ ~~
Char Pfeifer, 2" ~ istrict
R 'Kelly 3` istrict
zello, g--~pi ' t
Vivid Varner, 5th District
C/,vQt
hn oorde, City Clerk
shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption by the
Ervin Kuspa,
____~
Timot A. t Large ,
~r ..
Al " ddy" Kirsit At L ~e
1
Kaze .White, At a
~_
Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand, Attorney
~i~a t~ua ? ~ ~ a~~ ~ 200'
Stephen J. ecke, Mayor