Billy Dewell – Class of 1935
Billy Dewell’s athletic career may have begun in Dodge City, but it certainly didn’t end there. Dewell was a sophomore on the undefeated 1933 Dodge City High School Championship baseball team and in 1935, was named to the All-Tournament state basketball team. He was a three-sport letterman in football, basketball and baseball at DCHS before his talent led him to a seven-year stint in the National Football League. Now, that illustrious career has led to an induction into the Dodge City Alumni Association Ring of Honor.
“Dad was all about sportsmanship; if you were lucky enough to play a sport, you always play within the rules and never cross the ‘fine line’ between good hard play, and ‘dirty’ tactics,” son Tom Dewell said. “Dad approached everything he did the same way; whatever he was doing, it was with a positive and up-beat attitude.”
Dewell played for the Chicago Cardinals for seven years, taking four years off to serve in the U.S. Navy. He returned to the team after the war and played for three more years. He was an All-Pro in 1941 and was named first team all-NFL in 1946, leading the league in receiving touchdowns and total touchdowns. In 1947, he was the team captain when the Cardinals won the NFL Championship.
“He always wanted us to do our best and enjoy what we were doing,” his son, Tom, said. “He once said, ‘do what you love, and when it is not fun anymore, try something else.’ He just enjoyed life and I, for one, idolized him.”
Dewell was a three-sport athlete at Southern Methodist University and was All-Southwest Conference in 1938 in football, was a three-time all-conference selection in basketball, and was all- conference in baseball. He was the only three-sport All-Conference athlete (in the same year) in the history of the SWC. He was the 29th player selected in the 1939 NFL draft and is a member of the SMU Athletic Hall of Fame.
“He was, most importantly, a loyal, devoted, and loving husband and father,” son Dan Dewell said. “He spent his life supporting and loving us. He and my mother were the ultimate role models and we’ve all tried to follow in their footsteps.”
Dewell enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and served as a physical trainer for pilots from 1942-1944.
“He served in Corpus Christi where he was on a touring basketball and baseball team that would visit other bases and play games against the local base team to boost morale.” Tom said. “Dad’s teammates were all top players that were well known to anyone who followed college or pro sports. He was very proud of his service in the Navy.”
After his playing days were over, he coached with Packers legend, Curly Lambeau, with the Chicago Cardinals.
“Dad frequently told me how he approached the coaching task like a professor working with his students,” Tom explained. “Everything he said could improve your chances of success in some way. You may not use the skills for years; but when you needed it, you had it.”
Dewell and his wife, Natalie, had seven children. He died in 2000 at the age of 83.
“Dad was an All-American dad who was friendly and outgoing,” Tom said. “He was a devoted husband and father, an avid reader, and also wrote poetry. He encouraged us to follow our passion, whatever it was.”
“Thank you for honoring our father; he was a giant of a man in many respects,” Dan said. “He loved growing up in Kansas and used to tell us stories about school, jobs, and family life there. His high school years were right in the heart of the Great Depression so life probably wasn’t easy; but Kansans are tough, and he was no exception. When I face a difficult situation, I know I can reach down for some of his toughness to help me get through it.”
Dr. Kuojen Tsao – Class of 1990
Dr. Kuojen Tsao has accomplished much in his impressive medical career and can now add Dodge City Alumni Association Ring of Honor Inductee to his lengthy resume.
Tsao graduated from Dodge City High School in 1990 and is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Houston.
“I’m not sure exactly if I ever had an ‘aha’ moment when I knew I wanted to be a doctor,” Tsao said. “I think it was always in me that I was interested in medicine and helping other people. In high school, I spent some time with the local doctors in town learning about that profession. I just never imagined doing anything else.”
Tsao’s family moved to Dodge City when he was in the seventh grade and left after his graduation.
“I’ve only been back a few times during college; however, I tell everyone that I’m from western Kansas, a town called Dodge City,” he said. “I think it was one of the greatest times of my life growing up in that town. It has kept me grounded in everything that I do and it shaped me to develop some of the core values in which I live my life.”
He completed his General Surgery Residency at the University of Cincinnati and Pediatric Surgery Training at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. In addition, he completed a two-year fellowship in Fetal Medicine and Therapy at the University of California, San Francisco. As Tsao finished medical school, he knew that not only did he want to become a surgeon, he also loved children.
“So becoming a pediatric surgeon was the natural choice for me,” he said. “I am very lucky to do something in my life that never feels like work. I get to help children and their families to achieve a healthier and better outcome for the rest of their lives. It’s a very rewarding career.”
Tsao is the Children’s Fund, Inc., Distinguished Professor in Pediatric Surgery, and Associate Professor at UTHealth Medical School in the Department of Pediatric Surgery. He is board certified in general and pediatric surgery, with a special interest in minimally invasive surgery and fetal surgery.
“I’ve been married for 11 years. My wife, Courtney, is from Missouri, but I have forgiven her for that,” Tsao said.
Tsao’s wife is a pharmacist but devotes most of her time at home with their two children, Oliver and Penelope.
“She does a lot of volunteering with the school and has developed several philanthropic projects in our community,” he said. “Our son is an extremely friendly kid who loves baseball and soccer, and plays the piano. Our daughter is a bit sassier. She loves animals, plays soccer and softball, and also plays piano. Both of them have been brainwashed that the Kansas Jayhawks is the best and only school that anyone can root for.”
Clinically, Tsao is the co-director of The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, one of the few programs that perform open fetal surgery. In addition, he is a clinical researcher with interests in quality and safety in pediatric surgery.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this award, to say the least. I’m touched to know that folks thought of me so many years after I graduated from high school,” he said. “I was able to find some of the other recipients of the award online and was amazed that I would be considered in that same class of alumni. I have been very fortunate in many parts of my life, but this award reaffirms my beliefs that the lessons and foundation growing up in Dodge City and graduating from Dodge City Senior High School have served me well in my career and life.”
As the Vice-Chair of Quality for the Department of Pediatric Surgery, he leads the Pediatric Surgical Safety Initiative at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. His primary research is focused on the errors and adverse children’s events, as well as efficacy of the surgical safety checklist in children’s surgery. Tsao’s research program supports medical students and surgical residents interested in pediatric surgical clinical research.
“I am tremendously excited to be coming back, sharing this with my family, as well as seeing old friends and classmates,” he said. “This is truly an honor for me.”
