Bio

DJ Palmer was a standout member of the Tiger football and track and field teams during the 1958 and 1959 seasons. His accolades will have him inducted into the Cowley College Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on Jan. 31, 2015.

As a freshman at was then known as Arkansas City Junior College, Palmer was the Jayhawk Conference and Region champion in the shot put and discus. He went on to place fourth nationally in both events.

As a sophomore, he was the national champion in the discus and placed third in the shot put. He was named an All-American track and field athlete in 1959.

Palmer also served as the captain of the Tiger football team during the 1959 season. He excelled on both sides of the ball for the Tiger football team as he led the team in yards per catch and was named an all-conference performer at defensive end.

After graduating from ACJC, Palmer transferred to Southwestern College in Winfield where he was a part of the school’s first undefeated football team.

Following graduation he began a 38-year career working for Apco, Total and Valero Oil companies. The last 15 years of his employment were spent testing for state and federal environmental compliance.

Throughout this time, Palmer continued his involvement with Tiger athletics and was honored as the Cowley College Booster of the Year in 1983. He also coached youth baseball, basketball, and football and served as the boys and girls high school basketball coach at Hillcrest Academy in Ark City.

In 1993, Palmer helped coach his son Kelly’s high school basketball summer league team which qualified to compete at the BCS National Tournament in Phoenix, AZ. After the refinery closed in 1998 he returned to what he called “the best community college in America” (Cowley College) and then transferred to Newman University in Wichita to complete what he started in 1958. He received a degree in elementary education .

“I was a better student at 59 than I was at 19,” Palmer said. He believes the education he received at ACJC was what led him to have a successful career.

“The instructors I had were old-timers and they were good,” Palmer said. “You could not have had a better staff of instructors.”

In retirement, Palmer raises registered Angus and Simmental cattle with his son, Kelly, for his grandchildren to show at 4-H events. He has also served on the Diaconate and Trustee Boards, taught Sunday School, assisted with Bible School, and AWANNA programs at First Baptist Church in Ark City. His upcoming induction to the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame is an honor Palmer does not take lightly.

“It’s hard to put into words what this means to me,” Palmer said. “My experience at Cowley was second to none. I believe this is the best junior college in America.”