© by Ray Sanchez 03.02.14
While serving in the U. S. Army as a major during World War II he was stationed at Fort Bliss for a time. He liked our city so much he decided to settle here.
But he didn’t just “settle” here. He liked us so much he became one of us. He went into business and found success as a contractor and head of Surety Savings, became a civic leader and oh, how he went to work for us in sports.
Take a look at some of the things he did in sports:
IN 1950, after visiting his previous hometown of Sumpter, S.C. and discovering they had started a Little League program there, he came back and organized a group of El Pasoans to start Little League baseball in El Paso. Haynsworth and his group talked the city into building a fence and putting in lights at Houston Park, which was located behind Houston Elementary School.
Haynsworth served as commissioner. Segregation was still rampant at the time but Haynsworth would have none of it. He made sure that everyone would be eligible regardless of race. Nolan Richardson was among the first blacks to take advantage of that ruling and was on his way to becoming one of El Paso’s greatest athletes and coaches.
IN 1958, Haynsworth served as president of the Sun Carnival Association and as such started the ball rolling toward getting CBS to telecast the Sun Bowl football game.
He personally went to New York to lay the groundwork. The contract was finalized by Harrison Kohl a few years later.
IN THE 1960s, when the El Paso professional baseball team was in dire financial trouble, Haynsworth, by then a successful businessman, helped form an organization along with other prominent El Pasoans, raised money and took over the club.
The team, then known as the Sun Kings, survived and went on to become one of the best minor league clubs in the country under Jim Paul.
ALSO IN THE 1960s, Sunland Park Racetrack was having a hard time. It needed a new general manager and the owners were looking for a respected El Pasoan to take the position.
Haynsworth was the perfect choice. He took over the running of the track, saved if from extinction and horse racing continued. He also became a racehorse owner himself and continued racing horses the rest of his life. Some of them are racing this season at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.
IN SHORT, Haynsworth seemed to be everywhere helping sports. After all, he had developed his love for them as a youth. He played football, baseball and basketball at Sumpter High School, was named all-state in basketball and played on the American Legion baseball team that won the state title.
And as one would expect, he was also active in many charitable and civic causes. He was a civilian aide for the Secretary of the Army from 1966-1970, chairman of the host committee for the Chamber of Commerce 1966-70, chairman and organizer of Goals for El Paso 1975-77 and a member of the board of directors of the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame during its formative years in the 1950s. He was inducted to the latter himself in 2008.
BOB HAYNSWORTH passed away last Sunday, Feb. 23, at his daughter’s home in Ruidoso where he spent his last few years after becoming seriously ill. He was 92.
Say a little prayer for him and add a great big “Thank you” for all he did for El Paso.
I did.