Boyd Baum was the first president of the Butler Community College Booster Club, which was started in the 1960s.

Baum was the owner of Boyd’s Sporting Goods, a sports store in downtown El Dorado. It was through his store that Baum became closely involved with many of the students and staff at the college.

“His store used to be the meeting place,” fellow booster Dick Pearce said. “Boyd kept a pot of coffee on and people would go in, drink coffee and discuss the games – before and after. It was a fun time to go in there and get all the stories that were being told.”

Pearce said Baum was a fan of all sports in El Dorado, including the junior high, El Dorado High and Butler.

Shirley Patterson, Baum’s daughter, said her father would spend hours talking to the students and coaches and said he looked forward to the annual hamburger fry, which was held for the student-athletes at the beginning of each school year.

“He enjoyed it all,” Patterson said of her father’s involvement at Butler.

Baum attended booster club meetings and games as often as he could, until his health worsened. Even then, Pearce would drive Baum to the football games, where he would watch from the car. 

Baum was born in Missouri, but came to El Dorado from McPherson. When he first came to town, he owned a filling station.

“He was an excellent business man,” Pearce said. “He had a good business head. He bought the sporting goods store from someone, and after Boyd bought it, it really took off.”

Kohls, who now works in the admissions department at Butler, said Baum helped usher in the “modern era” of Butler athletics.

“Boyd was always a big booster,” Pearce said. “Until he got to where he just couldn’t leave the house, you’d always see Boyd at the functions.  There’s probably no one who has done more to further the athletic department - athletics of all kinds - than Boyd. He was one of our favorite boosters.”