Schmidt, "Ernie" (Ernest J.)
Basketball
b. Feb. 12, 1911, Nashville, KS
d. Sept. 6, 1986
Mainly because of Schmidt's scoring, Winfield High School won three straight Kansas state basketball championships, 1927-1929.
He then became a four-year starter at Kansas State Teachers College in Pittsburg, KS (now Pittsburg State University). Schmidt won the nickname "One Grand" because he scored exactly 1,000 points during his college career. He led the All-Arkansas Valley Conference in scoring three times and the school won 47 straight games while he was there.
After graduating in 1929, Schmidt played AAU basketball with the Denver Piggly Wiggly and Reno Creameries teams and was a second-team all-AAU choice at center while with Reno. He later officiated Big Eight and Missouri Valley Conference games for many years.