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Mr. Carroll Baggett (Deceased)
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Email: hwbags@yahoo.com
Submitted by son, Don on Jan. 24, 2005.
Carroll Baggett was born in Alexandria Louisiana on July 15, 1919. He had an older brother Claude, who died in the 1990’s.
After High School he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Education from Southwestern Louisiana University in 1941. Carroll entered military service. He became a naval aviator and patrolled the Atlantic in addition to instructing pilots in how to land on an aircraft carriers.
Carroll met a navy nurse and was married to Marcella Heinke on January 2nd 1945 in Pensacola Florida. After World War II Carroll used the GI Bill to get a Masters Degree in Accounting from Louisiana State University. He was first employed as an accountant with Standard Oil of Indiana in 1948 in Tulsa Oklahoma. In 1950 Carroll was transferred to Casper Wyoming where he made many lifetime friendships.
Carroll Fathered two children Ann who died in 1999 and Don (aged 52) Carroll worked for Amoco now British Petroleum for 31 years and retired on July 2nd 1979.
After transferring back to Tulsa in 1966 Carroll again took up running and he ran at the Thornton YMCA for several years before and after retirement. He had a disciplined approach to keeping in good physical condition and seldom missed his daily exercise. He often served in the “Run for Your Life” class at the YMCA. Carroll loved running so much that he continued until his knees just gave out.
Carroll always approached his work whether at the office, at home, or at church with a great amount of energy and zeal. If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right, was his philosophy.
He was described to me as a knowledgeable, dedicated and dependable , a Company Man with a good heart. He cared about people and treated others with respect. He was eager to give his staff any help they needed to get the job done and follow up to be sure schedules were met. After he retired, the Company called him back to work on a backlog of oil and gas revenue problems.
Carroll Baggett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 1997 and passed away on November 21, 2004. On January 7th 2005 a Memorial Service for him was held at Bethany Lutheran Church in Tulsa Oklahoma and attended by 66 friends and family. His ashes will be placed in his daughter’s Mountain Cabin on Casper Mountain near Casper Wyoming.
Submitted by son, Don on Jan. 24, 2005.
Carroll Baggett attended Bolton High School in his hometown of Alexandria Louisiana. It was at this school where he distinguished himself in Track and Field under his coach Guy Nesom, who nicknamed him “Bird Seed.” Originally a High Jumper he converted to distance running and was able to obtain a full scholarship to SouthWestern Louisiana Institute in 1937.
During his 4 Year Collegiate Career Baggett ran the Half Mile, The Mile and the Two Mile. At some meets he also ran the Mile Relay. There were several meets where he won all three individual events and anchored the relay team.
Because of his unusual first name Carroll (which had 2 R’s and 2 L’s ) it was often misspelled in the newspaper articles. His last name was similarly misspelled with only one “T.” In many cases sportswriters invented names for him like: “the mighty Mite”, “the little bulldog” & “the little speedster” (because of his small stature). Other colorful names were; “Mercury”, “Birdlegs”, “Birdseed”, “Spindle-Legged”, “Diminutive Distance Runner” and the “Kingpin of the Southern Milers.”
As a Freshmen Carroll Baggett improved greatly under his heralded coach, Bob Browne. The best Freshman time in the Mile Run that can be documented is 4 minutes and 31 seconds. In Baton Rouge he “ran a masterly race” coming from behind to nose out the Loyola Veteran Luke Hamilton. At the Loyola Meet Carroll Baggett won both the 880 and the Mile. As a Freshmen the “mighty mite” was elected Co-Captain. Baggett contributed to the Freshmen Team winning the S.I.A.A “yearling” title by winning the half and one mile events. At the Triangular Meet the Freshmen Bulldogs were named the real heroes of the day. Carroll Baggett won both the half mile and the two mile on a wet track.
As a Sophomore “Sensation Baggett” was predicted to “break many S.I.A.A records before hanging up his spikes.”
“Carroll Baggett, who is largely responsible for much of Southwestern’s success on the cinders came in the winner by 400 yards. He is one of the best runners in the south and has proved his capability on various occasions while representing Southern Louisiana Institute. He has won a large number of honors and has been acclaimed by sportswriters for his outstanding speed.”
Cross Country (Junior)
Carroll Baggett won the Southern AAU Cross Country Gold Medal by inches after traversing the 4.8 mile City Park Course. Following this race Carroll Baggett was invited to participate in the 1500 Meter Race in the Sugar Bowl track-meet, held on New Years Eve, and upon this occasion he ran against some of the best track men in America; among them the 1936 Olympic Silver Medallist Glenn Cunningham. Although he came in last running in the Sugar Bowl meet, it was still considered by him to be a personal highlight of his running career.
Loyola Track Meet (Junior)
Baggett won all three events when S.L.I defeated Loyola in 1940. “Baggett of the Bulldogs stepped the 880 yard run in 2:04.3. In the Mile he was clocked at 4:24.4. The two mile run was a nip and tuck race. Delhom of Loyola took the lead at the one mile mark and held it until the last 150 yards. At this point Baggett opened up with a burst of speed and passed Delhom beating him by 3 yards at the tape”
Ruston Track Meet (Junior)
Co-Captain Carroll Baggett (Coach Browne’s Olympic Hopeful) broke his own mile record. This was the fastest Mile ever run by a Southerner. The “wiry little bulldog” later galloped home in the half mile in 2 minutes and ran on the winning mile relay team.
Triangular Meet (Junior)
“Southern Louisiana Institute lost in a triangular meet in New Orleans even though they took an early lead with a victory by Carroll Baggett the little spindly legged senior who has shown his heels to many prominent southern distance men, setting pace with a time of 4:23. The little speedster also won the half mile in 2:2.3″
Drake Relays:
“Carroll Baggett was the official geographer for the Drake Relays trip ( a trip of some 1900 miles), he studied the maps and worked out their routes. The crowd at the relays was estimated at 40,000″
Texas Relays:
Carroll Baggett ran the best race of his life in anchoring the mile relay team.
AAU Championships(Junior)
Carroll Baggett (one of the greatest milers ever to don the Bulldog Red and White on the cinder path) was not able to enter the AAU championships because of a pulled muscle.
Senior Year
Loyola Track Meet(Senior)
“In 1941 when the Bulldogs faced Loyola Carroll Baggett , the little spindle legged senior, who has shown his heels to many prominent southern distance men, won the mile event with a time of 4:22.1 Carroll Baggett added more points to the Bulldog score when the half mile event came around.”
“In New Orleans the spindle legged senior showed his heels to many prominent southern Distance men with a winning time of 4:22. “
“A record breaking mile by Carroll Baggett featured the first Louisiana Intercollegiate conference track Meet as Southwestern Institute romped off with the team championship. Baggett’s time was 4 minutes 21.8 seconds. This was the fastest mile ever run by a Southerner in the Deep South and stamped Baggett of Southwestern as the runner to beat in the AAU championships two weeks hence.”
End of Career
Coach Bob Browne’s greatest track team in the History of Southwestern was co-captained by Carroll Baggett. This team won the track championship after loosing for several years. Carroll’s time of 4:21:0 was 5 seconds better than his previous result. Carroll also anchored the winning mile relay team.” He won all three of his individual events. He negotiated the half mile distance in 2:2.3. In the two mile run he shattered the existing L.I.C record by 16 seconds. In the one mile Carroll Baggett set both the L.I.C and S.I.A.A records.
Carroll Baggett was quoted as having planned to pursue a carreer in Physical Education unless he was drafted.
