Nov. 2, 2001

WACO, Texas - Tom Chandler, who lettered in baseball at Baylor University in 1946-'47-'48, died at his home in Bryan on Oct. 18. He was 76. The baseball coach at Texas A&M University for 26 seasons, Chandler had a 660-329-10 record there.

Chandler graduated from Adamson High School in Dallas where his coach was W. W. "Doc" Henslee, also a Baylor baseball letter winner (1935-37) and one of the pioneer high school baseball coaches in Texas.

While playing at Baylor, Chandler and his teammates finished second in the Southwest Conference in 1946 and 1947. The following year the Bears finished third, but still were invited to participate in the NCAA playoff where they placed second behind the University of Southern California in the Western Regional. USC later defeated Yale for the 1948 national championship. Because he had signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chandler was not eligible for the '48 playoffs.

Following his pro career, Chandler returned to coach at Dallas Adamson and took a number of his teams to the state high school baseball tournament. He went from Adamson to Texas A&M in 1959. Under Chandler, the Aggies had winning records in all but one season and claimed the SWC championships five times. In 1964 Chandler's team participated in the College World Series.

After leaving the Aggie coaching job, Chandler spent 13 years as a scout and minor-league manager with the Cleveland Indians. He also scouted for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers. Chandler was inducted into the Texas A &M Hall of Fame and a street near the school's baseball stadium was named for him.

He is survived by his widow Willowdean Drummond Chandler and their two children. The Chandlers were married 53 years after being sweethearts at Baylor. She earned a bachelor's degree from the university in 1948.