If University of Missouri fans look at the indoor track in the Hearnes Center, they can see the legacy that Tom Botts left.

The Mexico native, who died at the age of 94 in 1999, had the track named for him thanks to a donation made by Thomas P. Botts and his wife, Libbie Rice. Thomas P. Botts is a Mizzou alum and the grandson of the coach who led the Tigers from 1947 to 1972, guiding Mizzou to eight conference championships and the 1965 NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championship. 

On Oct. 9, Botts was at the ceremony and said the university did a good job. It felt “special” with Truman the mascot, cheerleaders, the Golden Girls and Mizzou broadcaster Mike Kelly, but also because some of his grandfather’s former athletes were there along with current athletes who will benefit from the facilities. 

“I’ve always wanted to honor my grandfather’s legacy at Mizzou,” Botts said. “This is something we’ve been talking with the university about for a while. The timing was right. It was time to step up and pay it forward — ensure his legacy for his contributions to Mizzou but also continue to grow athletics, particularly Olympic athletics, at Mizzou.”

During his career, Botts coached five individual national champions, 23 All-Americans, 96 conference champions and two U.S. Olympians. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1977, the Drake Relays Hall of Fame in 1979, the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1983, and in 1990, he was part of the inaugural induction class into the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. 

The Westminster College track in Fulton is also named after Botts, who was a basketball player and an all-conference hurdler for the Blue Jays. His grandson wanted to give the gift to Mizzou after he also had such an effect on that school.

“It’s one thing to donate money,” Botts said. “It’s very different to donate something that is very personal and meaningful. This was a great opportunity to do that.”

Personal and meaningful is how Botts was to his long list of athletes. Botts said one of his grandfather’s former athletes from the 1950s told him at the dedication that he tried out for the team, went back home and then received a note written by Botts’ wife, Virginia. It thanked him for coming to Columbia and said he would be in good hands with her and her husband, Coach Botts.

“He was always caring, honest and thoughtful yet demanding,” Botts said. “That’s a unique combination. To be able to demand the best performance from your athletes while, at the same time, being caring for these young men who came into his world as young and immature men. The stories I have heard from them is that he helped to not just make them athletes but, in many cases, served as a surrogate parent with his wife, Virginia. The stories are endless.”

Even in Botts’ case, who is “as unathletic as they come,” he said his grandfather had an impact on his life, which has led him to becoming President of Flex Pay at Upgrade, a multibillion-dollar fintech company, in New York. The Boston native Botts earned a bachelor's degree in logistics and marketing at Mizzou and has memories of his grandfather while he was there.

“He and his wife were there when I was in college,” Botts said. “We would go back once a year when I was a kid to see them and go to a Tiger game. Those are memories that I will always cherish. He was always there to look after me, provide advice and direction, and keep me on the proverbial straight and narrow.”

Going to Mizzou seemed to be a family tradition for Botts as his grandparents, parents and aunt went to the school. He said people would tell him then, and even still today, after they see his name that his grandfather made an impact as a “coach, mentor and model gentleman across not just athletics but in the civic culture of Columbia.”

Another “long-standing family tradition” on his grandfather’s side of the family is that the name Thomas is given to the firstborn son along with the mother’s maiden name as the middle name. This is preserved, of course, with his son to make him the sixth generation in the tradition. 

Tradition is ingrained in the Botts family, and “ingrained” is the word that Botts used to describe the character of his grandfather. Even though Coach Botts isn’t around anymore, his grandson has a good idea what his reaction would be to the track dedication. 

“He would be very humble,” Botts said. “He would be aghast at first, but once he got over that, the memories of the people that were there to honor him for the impact he made on their lives and the university itself would have brought him to the idea. He was a man of faith and I believe he was smiling that day, for sure.”