William "Bill" Dotson

1940 - 2021

William (Bill) Robert Dotson was born Dec. 29, 1940, on a farm in Jamestown, Kan. to Delmer and Ruby (Champlin) Dotson, the fifth of nine children. He graduated from Concordia High School in 1958. During his senior year Bill won the Class A State Championship in the mile shattering a Kansas high school record that had stood for almost three decades.
Bill attended and graduated from Kansas University in 1962 with a Physical Education degree. He was a star member of the KU Track team. His many accomplishments include a Big 8 Conference Championship in the outdoor mile in 1960 and 1961 and a 800 meter Big 8 Conference Championship in 1962. Bill's second place finish in the 1961 mile National Championships and 3rd place finish in the 1962 mile National Championships both earned him All-American honors.
In 1962, Bill broke the 4:00 minute mile mark, making him the first Kansan and Big 8 miler to do so, 4th person to run a sub 4:00 minute mile collegiately, as well as the 7th miler in the US to break the 4:00 minute mile. Additionally, Bill claimed a Big 8 Conference Championship in Cross Country in 1961. That same year, he helped lead KU to a first place Cross Country finish in the Big 8 Conference and 4th place finish at the NCAA Championships. Throughout his career, Dotson set three American records in the mile, while he was also the fourth man in the world to run a mile in under four minutes on an indoor track at the 1963 Chicago Daily News Invitational.
Bill was also a member of the 1963 Pan-Am team in the 800 meter category competing in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Bill was inducted into the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
After college he joined the Marine Corps active reserves for six years.
He had a successful career in business and finance. He had a love for astrology. He lived in Santa Monica, Calif., for over 40 years having recently moved to Nebraska for health reasons.
Bill met his maker on June 16, 2021, after a battle with cancer.
He is preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Gerald Dotson; sister, Jacqueline (Jackie) Parsons; brothers-in-law, Tom Cady, Gary Parsons, Royal Heemeier and sister-in-law, Joann Dotson. He is survived by a brother, Donald (MaryEllen) of Wichita Kan. and sisters, Sharon Heemeier of Tucson, Ariz., Beverly Cady of Northfield, Minn., Prudy (Sam) Rugg of Waco, Charyl (Dan) Olander of Rogers, Ark. and Marsha (Karl) Knarr of Jewell, Kan.; niece, Vicki (Rick) Gruber of Waco (Atley and Cole Henderson, Luke Gruber); nephews, Brett (Dawn) Rugg of Norfolk, (Haydn, Garrison, Lily Rugg) and Bryce Rugg of Des Moines, Iowa, (Kylee and Jacey Rugg) and many other nieces, nephews and life-long friends from his college days.
Funeral services will be held Monday, June 21 at 2 p.m. at the Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, 325 W. 6th Street, Concordia, Kan. Interment at Jamestown Cemetery.
For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.