For those of you who have asked about the status of Dutch Schroeder, we have news coming from Mr. Bill Bain who recently spoke with Dutch’s daughter, Becky, over the phone. The following comments were taken from a letter Bain sent to the “B” Association on July 12th:
“As you know, for a 3 month period Dutch was in isolation in the assisted living complex and only available to Becky via phone. Then there was a 3 week period she could visit him on the outdoor patio, but that now has stopped due to the rise in virus cases. Becky reports that he looks and eats well but does little in communication. He does not ask questions and usually replies with a yes or no to her questions. After 10 or so minutes he’s ready to take a nap which he does often! I often wonder what he thinks about all day and can only hope it’s about the good times we had in the 60s, beating TX and A&M and winning the conference in ’66. I know many of his memories have to be also with the lettermen’s organization in the old room and the transition to the new facility. Well, let’s hope so and also that his family memories are also vivid for him.”
Thank you, Bill, for keeping us informed about our beloved Dutch Schroeder. We ask the entire Baylor letterwinner family to keep Dutch and his family in your prayers. Blessings to you all.
– Walter Abercrombie, Executive Director, “B” Association.
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Blessings in abundance Dutch my friend. You and your family are wrapped in prayer.
Great update! Please keep on us up to date on how Dutch is doing through all of this.
It is great to hear an update on Dutch. Prayers.
Dutch inspired me as a 13 year old in his trainng camp. And As a member of the team 1n 1963. He is most loved and always will be. Prayers for him.
Dutch was a teacher of the highest standard. He was the heart and souls of the PE department for decades and influenced many future coaches and teachers to be their best. He was even involved with intramurals. He is loved by so many of us. Press On Dutch! You are in our hearts and prayers.
Kim Scott
I am writing this some sixty-plus years after the facts since in this very same Baylor “B” Association Newsletter here is an update on the legendary Dutch Schroeder and the passing of my Baylor sweetheart and then exactly fifty-eight years to the day of our wedding anniversary, remembering Royce Glen West, death form Alzheimer’s on December 20, 2019. When Royce arrived for Baylor football the season of 1957, he was coming in sporting back-to-back State Football Championships at Stamford High School, out by Abilene, and a thirty-five games’ winning streak under the leadership of the late and great Coach Gordon Wood, a legend in his own right, where an outstanding weight program was in existence. I met Royce on December 15, 1957, and knew right away he would hopefully be my forever husband after our education was in hand some four years later. Very soon after Royce and I became a together couple,, he told me how he and “Coach” Schroeder started the Baylor weight program which, at the time, was non-existent. Royce couldn’t believe Baylor was minus this to-him missing link in their football program, so he searched the campus looking for old weights to keep his strength in tack. Sure enough, there behind the baseball practice field, where Dutch was the Head Baseball Coach, he found some old weights, and in his spare time would go lift at every opportunity. Dutch began noticing this anomaly of a football player handing around the baseball field, so he contacted the then football coaches who chose to come take a look for themselves. During these times of lifting, Royce and Dutch began to have conversations about how it would update the football program to have a weight program available, and soon Royce’s dream came true! Thanks to Dr. Odajima, Head Band Director, I have seen the now program during a lightning halftime when the band and crowd was ordered to “shelter”, and the bank was directed to report to the weight rooms. I have returned every year since turning seventy, I am now eighty-one, and had the amazing honor to twirl on field with Baylor Golden Wave and Alumni Bands and Golden Girls as an alumni twirler. So God in HIS own time brought Royce and Dutch back together again in this 2020 Newsletter, a confirming realization God is still in control even in a random letter!! Syntha Jane Traughber West, Class of 1960 drsynthawest@yahoo.com