Press release from The History Center:
Annual Brown Bag on Barr event to honor Woodson and Paddock
Rod Woodson and Geoff Paddock will be honored on June 8 at the History Center’s Brown Bag on Barr event. The annual event, which is free and open to the public, takes place at the Barr Street Market, located on the corner of Barr and Wayne Streets, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Woodson, an outstanding athlete at Snider High School and Purdue University, went on to a stellar career in the NFL. In his 17 NFL seasons with the Pittsburg Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders, Woodson racked up a number of record breaking statistics and received many honors. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993, was a member of the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team and 75th Anniversary Team, and was named to the Pro Bowl 11 times. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of fame in 2009.
His foundation has sponsored a football camp in Fort Wayne, bringing in athletes who exemplified the best in football to teach life lessons as well as sports to area youth.
Woodson’s mother will accept his honorary membership in the History Center at 12:30 p.m.
Paddock, a Fort Wayne native, has been a tireless public servant, and now leads the Headwaters Park Alliance as its executive director. He has also been the president of the Fort Wayne Community Schools Board of Trustees and Board of Education.
Paddock will be recognized at noon as an honored member of the History Center.
As an author, Paddock has contributed to the understanding of our local history through various works including “Indiana Political Heroes”, published in 2008.
In this book, he focused on eight leaders who served in government during the time that he was growing up, witnessing stands “that were not always popular with their constituents. These leaders took their positions because they believed they could improve government and provide for sound public policy,” he says in the forward.
Paddock has also written about the area that is now Headwaters Park and chronicled the development of the importance of transportation to the progress of Allen County and Fort Wayne.
He has continued his interest in transportation as a founding member of the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association for which he is a vocal proponent of bringing high-speed rail service to our city.
Hearthstone Ensemble from Settlers, Inc. will perform during the Brown Bag on Barr event. Tables and chairs are provided for those enjoying their brown bag lunch.
For more information, call the History Center at 260.426.2882 or view the center’s web site at www.fwhistorycenter.com.
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