UMKC Hall of Fame Spotlight - Victor Swyden
1/20/2010 9:00:00 AM | General, Athletics
by James Allan, UMKC Sports Information Director
In Kansas City, Victor Swyden is best known for serving as a councilman for more than 20 years, but in the UMKC circle, he's considered a pioneer, as he was a key figure behind helping the 'Roos make the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division I.Â
"Victor was involved in every phase of starting the Division I program," said Lee Hunt, the school's first Director of Athletics. "He was an organizer, a motivator and someone who could get things done. Some people talk about doing things - Vic talked about doing it before going out and getting it done."
After finishing his term as a Kansas City councilman, Swyden stayed involved in the community and at UMKC. He assisted in Project Refocus, which was a state and federally funded program designed to help people find work. During his time on campus, Swyden was also an avid athletics supporter and this is where he became one of the key individuals in convincing former UMKC Chancellor George Russell to pull the trigger and move athletics to Division I.
"Gary Widmar and Victor were very instrumental in encouraging Chancellor Russell to make the move to Division I," said Hunt. "Chancellor Russell agreed to fund the Athletics Department with a sum of $250,000 to make the jump, but the remainder of the money would have to come from the city and downtown partners."
That's where Swyden's extraordinary people skills came into play, as he was the guy that could get things like this completed. "Victor was the type of fellow who knew everyone around the city," explained Hunt. "He knew all the movers and shakers."
Once the move to Division I became a reality, Swyden continued his role in helping lay the foundation to the Athletics Department. He assisted Hunt in identifying and signing corporate sponsors and headed the first season ticket drive in the Division I era.
"Victor had an elaborate plan in getting out into the public and getting people to support athletics through the purchasing of season tickets," said Hunt. "He divided the cities into sections and appointed captains in each area, like the Royals' Lancers and the Chiefs' Red Coats."
His efforts paid off as around 3,000 people came out to Municipal Auditorium to see the program's first Division I game - a tight 62-60 loss to Rice University.
Swyden also assisted the program in its efforts in getting the team coverage on the radio and later on Metro Sports. Through his relationships around the city, he also reached out to car dealers to find automobiles for the coaches to utilize.
With all of his contributions to the University, Swyden was recognized in 1993 with the Golden Torch Award, which is one of the highest honors given by UMKC to an individual. Swyden's name and memory also still lives on in the athletics department, as he is the namesake of the Victor F. Swyden Athletics Training Facility, which opened in 1999.
One thing is certain, without the likes of Victor Swyden, UMKC may not have ever made the move to NCAA Division I.
"Victor really was a pioneer in getting this program to where it is at today," reiterated Hunt. "He was committed to getting this program off the ground and he was responsible for making a lot of things happen. He was an extraordinary man who I was very fortunate to have gotten to know."
The UMKC Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Jan. 22 at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City.
(This is the sixth of a seven-part series featuring the 2009 UMKC Athletics Hall of Fame class.)
Hall of Fame Features Dee Dee Johnson (Fortman) - Women's Track & Field Michael Jackson - Men's Basketball Julie (Nill) Wilson - Women's Basketball Amanda Rice - Softball Bill Ross - Former head men's basketball/men's golf coachPlayers Mentioned
