Hall of Fame 1969 Track team

It not every day that one of our own, or even somethone we know. gets a street named after them, but our teammates Curtis Williams and Walter Smallwood were honored at the Football Homeocming footbal game at SEMO in 2024.

Cool Video of Walter and Curtis at halftime getting the street named after them...Video Courtesy of Tim Rademaker

A little of what was said in Cape about the name honoring of our two team mates.

The Cape Girardeau City Council voted in favor of renaming a portion of Bellevue Street Near Houck Stadium during a special meeting on Thursday, November 2 at 4:30 p.m. Thanks to work by Tim Rademaker, PH,D,, a retired professor at SEMO State University.

City Leaders will take the final vote to officially rename the street during the regular city council meeting scheduled for Monday, November 6, 2024.

The name, “Smallwood-Williams Way,” will recognize two former Southeast student athletes who made considerable contributions to the athletic success of the institution and paved the way for countless student athletes that followed them.

Leaders at Southeast Missouri State University are looking to rename Bellevue Street in front of Houck Stadium in off Broadway in Cape Girardeau,after the two former student athletes.

According to the university, both Walter Smallwood and Curtis Williams were some of the first African Americans to play football at SEMO, and some of the first African American student athletes to receive an athletics scholarship there.

Walter Smallwood was a two-time All-MIAA selection in football, and he was the MIAA 60-meter champion in track plus a member of 1969 Hall of Fame Track team.

Until recently, Smallwood held multiple football records, such as most rushing touchdowns in a game and rushing touchdowns. He held the record school’s career rushing record until 1994, a record that he held for nearly 30 years.

After graduating SEMO, Walter Smallwood had a long career as an educator. He was inducted into the Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.

Curtis Williams was raised in Cape Girardeau and is a Cape Central 1965 graduate. He lettered four years in track and three years in basketball at SEMO.

He was the Most Valuable Player in basketball during the 1967 season, and was the MIAA Champion in high jump, triple jump and long jump. He set multiple school and conference records in basketball and track. Curtis was inducted into the Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010 as part of the 1969 Track Team.

After graduating SEMO, Williams had a long career as an educator teaching physical education. He was inducted into the Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.

The crew out side... Clark Wille, Steve Stillwell, Curtis Willams' daugher Beckie, David Lehmann, Curtis Williams, Tim Rademaker, Marty Cocoran, Bill Wiitz

At Half Time Nate Saverino Asst. AD at SEMO Curtis William and Walter Smallwood

SEMO President Dr. Carlos Vargas in the red shirt, Curtis Williams, Walter Smallwood & Cape Girardeau City Councilman Robbie Guard who was instrumental in the street re-naming.

I will put all the new pictures you send me on this site. Please, if you know the names of the people in the pictures let us know and we will label each. I will clean them up with photoshop and make them as good as they can.

If you have OLD pictures of the 1969 era Track team and their adventures at SEMO, please send them to me. If you have any of these "GOLDEN OLDIES" please call or email me and I will tell you the best way to get them online.