Missouri Valley ''Big Reds''

About the Book

Missouri Valley "Big Reds" is a tribute to the players, teams, and coaches who helped establish a strong tradition of excellence for the athletic programs of Missouri Valley High School. Missouri Valley is a small rural community, located in Southwest Iowa. The time period covered ranges from 1884 to 1952. The stories of the trials, tribulations, victories, defeats and personalities involved in the struggle to establish this strong tradition of excellence will allow the reader to remember or discover for the fi rst time sports heroes, who may have been forgotten as the years quickly pass us by. Emphasis is placed on the importance of maintaining tradition as a means of providing direction and motivation for present-day sports programs. This book attempts to recover and revitalize the rich traditions of Missouri Valley high school athletics.

About the Author

A 1951 graduate of Missouri Valley High School, Twy Jones is currently retired from Illinois State University as Professor Emeritus of Counselor Education. He played one summer of minor league baseball before teaching history and coaching basketball at the high school level. He has also served as a counselor and Dean of Counseling at a community college. His love of history and sports helped to provide the motivation for writing this book. He lives in Normal, Illinois, with his wife, Betty. They have four children and six grandchildren.