Chadron State College Athletics

Upon the recommendation of a Chadron State graduate, Baumann came to Chadron State after graduating from Cushing, Iowa, High School in 1939. He lived in Ross and Ruby Armstrong’s basement much of the time he attended CSC and did chores around the house to pay his rent.
Baumann was an exceptional athlete. He was the floor general and sparkplug on four outstanding basketball teams at CSC. Teams he played on had records of 16-4 in 1939-40, 15-3 in 1940-41 and 17-4 in 1941-42 before he and his teammates were rushed into action during World War II. The 1941-42 team represented Nebraska at the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. While the Eagles lost 34-29, it was to San Diego State, the defending national champions.
That was the last basketball game the Eagles played until 1945 after the war had ended. The ’45-’46 team that included Baumann and several of the other veterans went 17-1, losing only to Peru State, which got the bid for the national tournament. The CSC teams he played on had a 65-12 cumulative record.
Baumann had not played football in high school, but caught the winning touchdown pass during a 6-0 victory over Colorado State College (now University of Northern Colorado) in 1942. He also was the leadoff hitter and shortstop on the Chadron town teams sponsored by the Elks Lodge in the late 1940s and early ‘50s.
Baumann and his wife, Mary “Babe”, owned and operated F&M Bootery in Chadron for about 40 years, were avid Eagles’ fans. He also was a Chadron civic leader. Their sons Larry and Lee were inducted into the CSC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. Bob died in June 2004.