Lyon College has received a Silver Award in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s 2026 Circle of Excellence Awards for its W.C. “Dick” Winningham Player Reunion.
The award recognizes Lyon College’s work in alumni engagement and institutional advancement.
CASE’s annual Circle of Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievement in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising and marketing. The international awards showcase creative projects that strengthen educational institutions and their communities.
The Winningham Player Reunion was held Nov. 16, 2024, and brought together former Arkansas College basketball players from the era of legendary coach R.C. “Dick” Winningham.
The event celebrated friendship, shared memories and the lasting legacy of the players who helped define Arkansas College athletics during the 1950s and 1960s.
Cindy Barber, executive director of alumni engagement at Lyon College, organized the reunion and submitted the project for consideration in the CASE Circle of Excellence Awards.
Winningham was the college’s first professional basketball coach. He served as director of athletics and head basketball coach from 1951 to 1971, building a program known for discipline, teamwork and perseverance.
Basketball was at the center of campus life during the Winningham era, and the players helped establish a tradition that continues at Lyon College today.
Former players were recognized during halftime of the Lyon College men’s basketball game against Austin College. The reunion allowed former teammates to reconnect, share memories and reflect on the influence of their coach and their experiences at Arkansas College, now Lyon College.
Lyon College Athletics Director Kevin Jenkins, a 1986 alumnus, said the reunion demonstrated the lasting impact of Winningham’s teams.
“We had a great time renewing old friendships, sharing a lot of laughter and reminiscing about our time spent at Lyon College, Arkansas College,” Jenkins said. “The players and coaches during the Winningham era helped pave the way for Lyon College to provide a first-class experience, both academically and athletically, that continues to have a lasting, positive impact on the lives of our current students.”
Following the reunion, attendees raised more than $28,000 to name the basketball court inside the Garner Student Recreation Center “Coach R.C. ‘Dick’ Winningham Court.”
Winningham’s original signature was also painted on the basketball court.
“It was such an honor to host the reunion of these wonderful Scots last fall, and I’m so pleased that the CASE judges recognized their generosity in this way,” Barber said.
Lyon College is a private liberal arts institution founded in 1872. It is the oldest college in Arkansas operating under its original charter.
The college currently enrolls 781 students representing more than 33 states and 14 countries. Students can select from 32 majors, pre-professional programs, individualized options and select graduate programs.
Additional information about Lyon College is available at lyon.edu.
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