Clair Goodwin, longtime Globe editor and golf columnist, dies

Jul. 26—Longtime Joplin Globe editorial page editor and golf columnist Clair Goodwin, of Loma Linda, died Sunday. He was 82.

Goodwin wrote editorials for the Globe for more than 35 years, and also penned a popular golf column for half a century.

"I worked alongside Clair on the editorial page for many years and always enjoyed his good humor," said Globe Editor Andy Ostmeyer. "He loved his job and it showed. This paper and the community are better for the many contributions Clair made through the years."

Goodwin joined the Globe in 1958 as a sports reporter while attending Joplin Junior College, which is now Missouri Southern State University. He later attended Pittsburg State Teachers College, now Pittsburg State University. He became assistant sports editor in 1962. Two years later he moved over to the news side of the paper as a general assignment reporter, covering urban renewal, politics and the Joplin School District.

He later covered economic development, higher education and other issues for the Joplin News Herald, the afternoon paper, and also served as the sports editor and editor of the editorial page. He was named news editor of the afternoon paper in 1969 and served as editor-in-chief of that paper until it ceased publication in 1970, at which point he was named city editor for the Globe.

Goodwin began writing for the Globe's editorial page in 1972 and was named assistant editorial page editor in 1975. He was named editorial page editor in 1991 after the retirement of Robert Cooper.

Goodwin was recognized many times by the Missouri Press Association and other organizations for his editorials and columns, and in 1997, the Globe received the William Allen White Foundation Editorial Excellence Award from the Inland Press Association.

Kit Brothers, a longtime reporter for the Globe, said: "As city editor, Clair was my first editor and was most welcoming when I joined The Globe as an intern in 1973. Neither of us could have predicted that his mentoring and influence on my writing would continue over 21 years to the point of me being his associate editor of the editorial page by the time I left the paper.

"A solid and fair editor, Clair was a good listener and studied all aspects of an issue. Then he eloquently would transfer his take on things to the printed page, as opinion-page and golf-column followers can attest.

"An interesting man, he always was open to leaning back in his chair and chatting about virtually any subject. and he was a lot of fun — cheerfulness and sense of humor among his definitive traits."

Goodwin also played Santa Claus for many years at the Globe's annual Christmas party.

He retired from full-time work at the Globe in 2006 and remained on a part-time basis through 2008, having hit the half-century mark.

Goodwin also continued his golf column, "Chip Shots," after he retired.

In a previous interview with the paper, Goodwin said he took up golf in 1965 and over the years he became known as an authority on both the local and national golf scenes. He helped revive interest in the Joplin Horton Smith matches and was a driving force behind the Horton Smith and Ky Laffoon teams. He also covered numerous PGA Championships, men's and women's U.S. Opens, Ryder Cup matches and more, and met or interviewed many of the top names in golf, including walking part of a course with Ben Hogan.

He served as director of the Joplin Globe city championship for many years, and was a founding member and past president of the Joplin Golf Foundation. In 1990, he was inducted into the Joplin Golf Hall of Fame and was later inducted into the Ozarks Golf Hall of Fame.

Goodwin friend Brad Belk praised him for his role in the community.

"With the passing of Clair Goodwin, we've lost Joplin's greatest golf ambassador," Belk said. "Clair's golf column was monumental because it was solely about golf — a secondary sport that seldom received a lot of space in the newspaper. Clair kept our golfing community informed. You name it, he covered it."

Belk said avid golfers looked forward to reading his column.

"Clair kept us updated on the latest equipment, introduced us to the newest golf courses and/or the changes that were being made to the established ones," he said. His stories on the region's premier players both past and present, were insightful, giving us further information into the lives of these talented players."

Belk said Goodwin played on the 1985 Joplin Horton Smith team. One of his most memorable shots was a hole-in-one on the 15th hole at Schifferdecker.

"Recently, I have been fortunate to write a weekly golf column for the Joplin Globe," Belk said. "Part of my motivation came from Clair. Since I began writing it has been a respectful tip of the hat to this wonderful gentleman."

Belk also noted that Goodwin was a past chairman of the board for the Joplin History and Mineral Museum.

"Clair was always diplomatic in his approach and worked to form a consensus," Belk said.