Galesburg in 1960's

Author, Jim Wyman

Jim Wyman gave a tremendous introduction for Roger Coleman into the GHS Athletic Hall of Fame. I don't think I have heard a more impressive HOF speech than Jim's. The speech gives a great description of Roger but it is a sociology lesson on the role of radio, small towns and sports in the 1960's. It is MUST READING----

Roger Coleman Hall of Fame Speech

            It is an honor for me to represent the former employees of WGIL Radio who worked for Roger Coleman between 1954 and 1976 and to induct Roger Coleman into the Galesburg High School Hall of Fame as a “Friend GHS Athletics.”  This is a happy day for all of us who worked with Roger when he was general manager of WGIL.

Roger Coleman

            Roger Coleman is all Galesburg all the time.  He was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Galesburg on November 27^th, 1930.  His father, Haven Coleman, was the first basketball coach at Corpus Christi High School in Galesburg.  Haven Coleman was also an athletic director, who had worked at Wheaton College,Western Illinois University and at Hedding College in Abingdon until becoming sick with encepalitis and becoming an invalid.  Haven Coleman died in 1939.

            Roger loved two things in life:  sports and radio.  Although not a gifted athlete, he did run track for Galesburg High School and spent a lot of time watching the great football and basketball teams of C. C. Van Dyke and Gerald Phillips.