Hey, everybody. I'm Doug. That's Connor and this.
Is a very special episode of the Bethel
school district presents podcast. We are celebrating 75
years of the bethel school district with Bethel
Legend
Ed Neil. You might recognize mister Neil name
from the Bethel high school gym,
and we are so proud to have him
join us on the show along with his
son, Bob Neil. Gentlemen, Thank you so much
for being here. Glad to have you. So
mister, you've lived in our area since night
teen 51 and worked at Bethel High school
when it opened its doors, talk to us
a little bit about the changes you've seen
in the school and around the district since
then.
I just had the opportunity the other day
with Bob
to travel
out to Graham.
Which I haven't seen for many, many years
and up the graham hill and I couldn't
believe the growth in the Bethel district,
when I was here, started,
we had 6
elementary schools.
We had teams form from the 6 schools
for...
In a mural and
recreational basketball baseball.
And now I understand there's 18
elementary schools
and maybe
6 8
junior high schools. And I was fortunate to
see the
fourth high school groundbreaking,
since I've lived in the Bethel district,
and that's amazing to see 4 high schools,
in a lifetime. It absolutely is your lifetime
spans a lot of history across this district
across this country You came to Bethel by
way of Pittsburgh, the United States Army and
Washington State University.
It's a lot of ground to cover in
your early years that I'm sure folks are
gonna wanna know about. So let's start in
the steel city where I am also from
Pittsburgh. I lived there till I was 12.
You live there a little bit less time
than that. I heard you left when you
were about 6 months old. We left there
when I was 6 months old.
My dad and mother and Aunt Mary
and my older brother ted headed west. I
don't remember much about the trip, but I
do have some stories that I was often
told later,
the main 1 was Aunt Mary,
who was coming out with us to help
with my older brother, Ted and me.
She always got scared coming over
high road passes and and different roads.
That we took and dad mom used to
tell me how Mary always wanted the inside
of the car to sit on when we
came over some of those
rugged and passes in those days.
I don't know if there was guard rails
or not, but it kinda scared all of
us when she started screaming about look down
there.
Way you down there. Yeah.
And and Ed, I understand you're a hundred
years old. Correct? Yes. So you've seen a
lot in your life. You're you're formative year
stretch from the great depression to World war
2, that's an unparalleled experience. How did that...
Shape as a young man and what lessons
did you learn that stayed with you all
these years? I think the big biggest things
I learned after graduating. I quit high school
in my senior year after the football season,
and I joined the army because I was
afraid they would draft me into the navy.
And I didn't like water at that time,
and I'm still not a favor of water...
But I did join the army, and
I think the 2 and a half years
that I was in
did a lot for my life, But, I
was kind of a character in high school
I understand.
I didn't like school too well, but I
like sports,
and the army took that out of me
and
gave me a lot of of foresight light
to continue my life. And I found an
article about you online. It said you actually
played football for the army. Is that true?
I did. I I was going
to Fort sill, Oklahoma,
and we brought a artillery team
from Camp swift, 2 Forks sealed to play
football. And I think there was
6 or 8 different teams that came there
a real remarkable,
place to go and.
I don't know what I learned mil momentarily,
but I I did have a a good
time.
Playing football for the artillery at Ford hill,
I bet.
I was actually also in the army. I
was a broadcast journalist, and served with A
in Belgium. I don't know what I learned
mil military either, but it brought me here.
Yeah.
So you also played football... At w u
if I'm not mistaken, Any memories from that
time? Yes. I remember when a guy knocked
a coach knocked on my door. Oh, 1
day when I was living in Seattle
and asked me if I wanted to go
to school at Washington State
kind of surprised me because I had no
intentions to go to school. I was ready
to go to work.
And I said, yes.
And mom and dad a few weeks later,
packed me in the car and took me
over to Coleman
and dumped me off.
And there from there on, it was Washing
they cook football from from that day on.
I never was a real husky fan.
But III
do appreciate the program that they
have had so far.
I'm a Cougar,
my 2 sons or Cougar,
my grandson is a Cougar.
So we we have a respect for Washington,
but not Not as a Cougar.
Not too much. Not too much respect.
And sports you you were also very involved
with sports at Bethel high school, but... Before
we get into that, Let's talk a little
bit about your time as a teacher there.
If my sources are correct, you taught shop.
What was that like And what kind of
projects its students work on back in the
fifties.
I have to say that your sources were
wrong. Oh, no.
I
thought chop for 1 year
to, when I got the job at Bethel,
I was assigned to world history shop, metal
shop, wood shop,
I graduated from washington state in physical
education health. So the first year, I was
at thousand high school. Which had a
earthquake
destruction in 19 49,
destroyed their swimming pool and part of their
gym.
So
I got these other
different teaching positions than I would have, normally,
then when Bethel opened, I did get my...
Position that I wanted was in the gym,
tossed physical
education for 15,
15 and a half years, That tracks with
the coaching thing. I'm well to fire the
intern that did our research on that.
So I have a follow up question. That
date 19 49
you taught a Cap high school, that is
the year that Bethel School district was founded
75
years ago. Do you remember anything about that
consolidation of the 30 some school districts that
were brought together to form this 1 big
gigantic mega that we now, Connor I now
proudly serve No. I I don't remember much
about. I do know that there was a
lady
Pierce County
educator, Ruth Bethel.
And, what I know is they named the
name after her,
but I do understand there were just many,
many
consolidation in the Bethel. School district. The last
1 and being high school being Roy and
catholicism, which were... I don't know far apart,
but are quite a ways the part. Yeah.
And and you were a football baseball coach
Bethel. And as a new district with a
new high school, was your job to get
the athletes from Capacity high school in Really
high school, like you just mentioned. To come
together as 1 team being so far away.
I've read that you actually drove the bus
that took the athletes from Capacity to Roy
for practice. What was that time like for
you?
Actually, the 2 schools now I remember where
16 miles apart. And when they consolidated
They played 19 50 season was played as
Roy and as,
and in 19 51,
we brought the 2 teams together.
When I got the job, my wife and
I came early,
a spring break to look at the 2
schools that were going to be involved in,
and things didn't look good at that time,
but I knew they were building a new
Bethel High school. So I was really excited
about that.
But our facilities at Roy,
is where we chose to turn out for
football.
We rented a field in Breeze Park, which
is now Span away golf course,
and that's where we turned out for baseball,
but, I had to take the kids from
ka
load them on a bus, take him over
to Roy and turn out. And then after
turnout, I would take some of the Roy
kids home,
and then backtrack over to and take the
kids home.
And fortunately, the school district let me take
the bus home. When I lived in Parkland,
but it was it was it was a
long day, but it was a fun day.
Is a tree you played games at Chan
Stadium in Tacoma? Yes. We played our football
games at Cheney stadium in which was up
in our eleventh Avenue there somewhere. Yes. We
played there a couple years until we got
our...
Bethel
facilities going? Dad, why don't you tell him
the story about you and art creating and
how the football feels gotten its location?
You'd have to know her crate first.
Heart crate was a member of the Bethel
district. He was a
Power and light manager for Elm Hears light
and power,
the district went from Parkland
way out to heart's lake.
And art became very
concerned about our high school and our athletic
program
because he had 2 boys coming up, knowing
art credit, he used to come and ask
me what I needed,
well we needed a lot of things and
field was the main thing.
And I can remember 1 day he came
when I was out
with my, high school
Pe class,
and Art came over and he said, where
do you went to football field.
And I said, Art, I've I've got a
a class here. I can't leave you. I
can't leave him.
While knowing art, it was there or now
or not at all.
So I I told the my student leader
to take over what I went over and
help mister Crate out,
and I had looked at the areas where
a field might be
but I had no idea it would be.
But we walked over there I kinda upset,
and I walked over there, and and
I put my foot down. And I said
art. I want the corner right here, and
I said want... I'd like to have it
parallel with 30 eighth avenue.
And
that was it. He he
he pounded a stake.
And that's where the bethel football field is
nowadays. At the same place. That that is
amazing though that a a kinda snap decision
like that so many decades later, and here
we are. We're still playing there. And to
look at the timeline of how long it
went from okay where we gonna put it
to it being there was amazing. How how
quickly did the machinery show up after that
meeting that you had with Art? Probably the
next weekend.
Because art and art was a... Was a
go get, and he had lots of help
in the Be district. He got the sender
and the whole thing and put the ribbon
around for the track, and who and put
up goal post.
He did... He did a lot. I can't
say enough for our crate. I appreciate everything
he did. Things move a little slower these
days. Things little these.
We just attended the groundbreaking for the new
Bethel high school. And they talked how that
started 17 years ago. It did. A little
bit different than what they were able to
do the football field, and the grand stand
both. They should just had ed come over
and put a steak down get good to
go. Arc ed out there with a stake
and put the school in. Yeah. Someone tells
me the permitting process it wasn't as rigorous
that was. Yeah. So at High, Ed, you
spent 15 years as a football coach. 5
years as baseball coach and 7 years as
a basketball assistant when it came to athletics,
what did Bethel do right? And what were
some of the things that you had to
work on?
I think we worked on things as they
came. There were problems that came up
daily
turnout wise.
Fields,
transportation,
getting a kids home and
and back, we had to work on everything
or as it came along. There's was no
no planning ahead. We had no money.
I did go to Dale Housing in Tacoma
and Scott said, athletic supply. No and ran
up a credit bill there. They gave us
uniforms. At first, we had
uniforms in both powell and Roy.
Not enough for a full team at a
consolidated
school.
So we did have to go debt a
little bit, and we borrowed
beg from different people that we knew that
that had something. In the district. Bethel District
was super
They were like the old time and days
when somebody needed help. There was people there
to help them.
So it was a great district and
Just went from grassroots up to where they
are now. I I've heard the once once
your coach you're always a coach. Let's put
that coach hat back on for a minute.
If you could step into the locker room
and give a pep talk, what would you
say to today's student athletes?
I don't know what I would say today.
I... I hear too much restriction and what
what a coach can do and can't do,
But I wouldn't...
Impress on the kids that we're playing this
game as a team.
And as a team, we we don't want
anyone to embarrass our team,
or yourself.
We want don't wanna embarrass the Bethel School
district. So
adhere to the laws and the rules of
the game
carry out your assignments
and do the best you can and above
all, have some fun doing it. I love
that. Conor gave me that same pep proctor
came in here. Don't embarrass me and don't
embarrass the district.
I say that for every interview.
It's very wise advice.
Ed today, you serve as a key member
of the Bethel School District athletic Hall of
Fame. Tell us a little bit about that
organization, and why it's so important for our
community.
It gives us a chance in the Bethel
School district to bring kids back together
has a
group receiving awards.
I think Bob could answer this better than
I do. Bob is the president of the
Bethel
hall fame, and he does drop
better than I... I know that it's been
just a great thing because a lot of
my...
Former athletes have come by and congratulate
us on a job that.
This group has done. I think 1 of
our main goals is to preserve history
to
learn from what... Past athletes have done to
learn who those people were, just the abilities
of people that have come out of Bethel
high school. I... All of these have kind
of a timeframe frame that we know the
school, and my timeframe frame was probably from
birth until I graduated from high school. You
know, on the day after I graduated from
high school I was a Cougar. But I
look back now on the and get to
see people that I sat in the stands
and saw as heroes
be recognized for what they had done. Back
in those days, the high school games were
so important because you couldn't see
every protein play every night on Tv like
it can today. So that was a lot
more of the community focus.
And the thing that I have learned
about 19 70 on is
we have produced a huge number of great
Athletes. People that have been on the pro
golf tour,
people that have have played some pro football,
people that have done all sorts of things
late and gone out and be successful. Absolutely.
We didn't had a former mariner come out
of Buffalo school. We did. Mike Flowers, and
he was,
I think it was the first ceremony we
had. He was our guest speaker Or or
was he in ind... Maybe he was ind
the first 1 and spoke at the second
1? I think is what he probably. That
was it. Yeah. Dad, why don't you tell
us a little bit about your 19 55
and 56?
Football teams. The 19 55
team,
I wish I could list some of the
players,
but I would miss something, so I better
not. But it was went undefeated,
and
we won the state championship. This was a
mythical
championship at that time.
Were voted in by sports writers and people
throughout the state.
And then in 56,
most of the same kids came back.
And we went undefeated that year. And if
I recall right, we...
We were underscored on for 16 ball.
Which is truly incredible. I I would love
to get back in the record books and
see if that's ever happened again that I
I can't imagine it has. Quite a defense.
Yeah.
Ed, you were born in 19
24.
I'm gonna go through a little list I
made here of some of the things that
were in vent after you were born, and
that includes bubble gum, pen,
scotch tape, jet engines
so many different things that Connor and I
take for granted were invented after you entered
the world.
For you, is there a single greatest
invention that America produced. I think probably the
television.
I know I... At at my age now,
I enjoy television is... It's a good pastime
when I do enjoy it, I know that
when I was going to high school,
there was no Sea tac airport.
It There was no interstate 5.
There was no Span golf course,
Pacific Avenue
was very bare of businesses
like it is today. Mainly construction has taken
over, I think and which is good. A
lot of new infrastructure around that... That's a
good answer. I think television is a strong
answer, Connor and I have chosen podcasting because
we have faces for radio. We're told. So
we're...
Happy to sit behind the microphones here. Yeah.
Bob, with your father turning a hundred, I'm
sure over the years, he's probably told you
a couple solid pieces of advice.
There any that you could share with the
listeners that really stuck with you made a
big impact in your life. You've been a
pretty successful man yourself.
Well,
I don't know if there were direct things
that he said, here's the advice, but to
follow his lead. Mh. He spent his life
in coaching,
and
so many times I've seen articles about him,
and it has the, quote, do it for
the kids.
And he was his whole career he was
about the betterment of student athletes,
both in the classroom and on the the
football field or basketball corridor or baseball field.
But it was always about what's best for
the students and and what's good for their
life? And what can they learn
and take with them as they go on
for And and I followed his footsteps as
I say, physical education degree at at W
asu,
played basketball. It was never a football player.
But I did play basketball, and and sports
were really important in our household.
As just kind of a centerpiece, we still
watch, the mariner almost every night, we watch
all the Sea hoc games, we just love
to watch in the cougar this last year
in basketball.
And I think just the guidance that he
gave me towards how he lived his life.
I look back and and
so many times now you see parents that
are
the helicopter parents that are always there and
right involved with the kids and everything they
do. He never once said, let let's go
out and do this. Let's go do that,
play a sport. But if I said, hey
Dad, I'd like to go play catch. He
had the ball in a couple of clubs.
Hey, well, you rebound for me. Yep. He's
out there. And was always there but never
pushed, but I I think like any young
person you're going to...
Look at what the important people in your
life are doing
and you emulate that.
And I I think that I did that,
and I'm glad that I did. I think
that's fantastic. Great. Great. Answer, and great advice
do it for the kids. I love that
quote. Absolutely. And and 1 last question. Before
it, Ed, and we all aspire to live
a long, meaningful life like yours. You have
any good advice for the people listening on
how to stay active and engaged in their
retirement years.
I've been asked that many times
and since I got a hundred anyway. I
never had any problem with as far as
eating
sleeping,
keeping active. And that's all I can say
is that keep going, just keep active,
eat to write things,
stay away from drugs
and
do the best you can with what you
got.
Just that simple. Just love it. Yeah. Fantastic
advice. Bethel
Institution, Ed Neil and Bob Neil. Thank you
so much for joining us today. We're really
excited to have. You here to celebrate the
70
anniversary of our great district, gentlemen. Thank you
very much. Thank you. Thank you. And enjoyed.