The Phariss/McCauley/Willis/Fitzgerald Family:Information about Byron ("Buster") Scott Brannon
Byron ("Buster") Scott Brannon (b. October 21, 1908, d. April 14, 1979)
Notes for Byron ("Buster") Scott Brannon:
Several obituaries on Buster Brannon were included in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.One of them, titled "Former TCU cage coach Brannon dies" by Bob Clanton, reads as follows:
"Death claimed the second half of a familiar TCU sports twosome Saturday as former basketball coach Buster Brannon died at age 71.
Abe ' Buster.
For many of the more recent glory years, that spelled TCU athletics.
They coached together, retired from coaching together, retired from full-time athletic administration together and both worked two years as consultants to TCU athletics.
Saturday, death took the two only three months apart as Brannon died in a local hospital.Martin, former football coach and athletic director at TCU, died in January.
Though retired, Brannon was still a frequent visitor around Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.'He was one heck of a man,' said TCU Athletic Director Frank Windegger.This spring, Brannon watched many TCU basketball games.
He frequently could be found in the athletic offices, chatting with visitors and athletic secretary Mazie Varley.His las visit was Wednesday.Thursday he was hospitalized.
Among the many credits for his long athletic career were enshrinement in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and TCU Letterman's Hall of Fame.
A native of Pine Bluff, Ark., Brannon was a member of the hearladed 1929 Athens High School team that was named the mythical national champions.
He came to TCU as a two sport man. He was an all-Southwest Conference guard on the1932-33 basketball team and a starter on TCU's first SWC championship team in 1931.In addition, he was a southpaw quarterback for the Purple gridders, gaining second team all-SWC honors.
He coached in the high school ranks at Van, Dublin Odessa before taking the head coaching job at Rice in 1938.At Rice, Brannon won two SWC titles.
After a stint in the Navy and a term as assistant football coach at Florida, Brannon returned to TCU in 1948 as basketball coach.His teams won the SWC title in 1952, 1953 and 1959 and tied for the title in 1951.He retired from actice coaching after the 1966-67 season.
Two of his former players went on to cach in the Southwest Conference.Houston's Guy Lewis played under Brannon at Rice.Johnny Swaim was the only player in TCU history to start on three consecutive SWC championship teams.He later returned as an assistant under Brannon and was named head coach after Brannon retired.
Brannon was known throughout collegiate circles for his flashy dress.But there was nothing flashy to his methods, Lewis said.
'Buster wasn't all that easy going on the floor,' Lewis recalled.'He just wanted you to play hard.And players did because they really loved the guy.That's something you don't see in coaching these days.'
Lewis admitted some Brannon influence rubbed off on his coaching techniques. 'It's not anything I can pinpoint. But he's had a great influence on my life.'"Clanton, Bob, "Former TCU case coach Brannon dies," Ft. Worth Star Telegram, April 15, 1979, Section B, pgs. 1 & 4.
Another obituary reads as follows:"Byron (Buster) Brannon, 70, 3636 W. Seminary, passed away Saturday.Survivors: Wife, Lynn Brannon: son, Dr. Robert Brannon, Washington, D.C.; sister, Mrs. J.A. Boyer, Baytown; brothers, Emmett Brannon, Shreveport, Louisiana; Bennie Brannon, California; grandchildren, Elizabeth and Scott Brannon, Washington, D.C. . .""Death Notices: Brannon," Fort Worth Star Telegram, April 15, 1979, at 26a.
More About Byron ("Buster") Scott Brannon and Martha Lynn Dawson:
Marriage: November 25, 1937, Van Zandt County, Texas.85
Children of Byron ("Buster") Scott Brannon and Martha Lynn Dawson are: