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Santee's message: Strive for success
Wes Santee gazed up at the large projection screen to see two college runners darting down the track toward the finish line, and he gave a little laugh.
One of those runners was Santee -- now 75 years old -- who in younger days had distinguished himself as a miler and a track star at the University of Kansas. That was more than 50 years ago, but Santee still has that competitive state of mind.
"I thought, 'How could I have been one second faster?'" Santee said when asked how he felt, seeing the stock footage that greeted chamber members and guests upon arrival at the 56th annual Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce dinner on Tuesday at Fort Scott Community College.
The Ashland native, who now lives in Eureka, was the keynote speaker for the dinner attended by about 240 people, chamber officials said. Santee was also on hand Tuesday to mingle with guests and share his unique story and to sign copies of the New York Times best seller, "The Perfect Mile," written by Neal Bascomb, which details the story of Santee and two other athletes and their quest to set the world record for the mile run during the early 1950s.
Santee also talked about his life and career, which included a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The success of "The Perfect Mile" led Santee to several book signing tours across the country and appearances on several television programs. He has been inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas Relay Hall of Fame. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Sports Academy and has been inducted into the National Track Hall of fame.
Santee said his only tie to Fort Scott is longtime friend and fellow veteran Bob Marshall, who is the FSACC chairman and an organizer of this year's chamber dinner. It had been years since he had visited Fort Scott, Santee said, so he was thrilled for the opportunity to speak at the dinner.
Santee talked about competing at the collegiate level in the 1950s and the different rivalries between his beloved KU and other schools in the same conference, such as Kansas State University, the University of Missouri, and Iowa State University.
"Back then, the concentration was more on teams, rather than individual championships," he said. "At those schools, they prepared as teams. It was schools versus schools."
During his running career in the 1950s, Santee just missed becoming the first man to run the mile under four minutes, when British runner Roger Bannister accomplished that goal in 1954, before he did. Santee wouldn't quit there, though, and would later run the next fastest three miles ever recorded, including one run that was clocked at just over four minutes.
Over the course of his career, Santee would gain fame across the country and the world as a track star. During high school, he would set a record in Kansas for the mile run with a time of four minutes, 26 seconds, and compete in the Olympic Games in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. He has received numerous awards and accolades, and is a member of the inaugural Kansas Relays Hall of Fame class. He has owned several indoor and outdoor track and cross country records, and is a former National Collegiate Athletics Association cross country champion. He was a two-time state champion in the mile run.
After graduating from college, Santee joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served two years of active duty. He eventually retired as a full colonel.
Santee owned an insurance business in Lawrence for more than 33 years before his retirement in 1990. He now speaks at various civic functions and still works to promote physical fitness in schools across the country. He received the Navy Medal of Commendation in 1963, after being chosen as one of the top 12 physical fitness leaders in the United States. He is currently involved in the cemetery business at Lakeview Cemetery in Wichita.
Before the chamber dinner on Tuesday, Fort Scott residents Ken and Charlotte Lunt hosted a social event at their home, where Santee had an opportunity to visit with members of the business community on a more personal level. The Fort Scott High School orchestra provided music for the dinner, while a number of FSCC students helped to prepare tables and serve food during the event.
"It's nice to see these students helping out in the community," Santee said.
The official chamber awards and recognition ceremony, which has typically been part of the annual dinner, will be conducted later this summer, officials said.