HOME OF: Ron DuPree

Ron DuPree of Meeker is this week’s “home of” honoree. Ron moved to Meeker in July 2011 to be the head football coach at Meeker High School.
Ron has two bachelor’s degrees, one in history and one in physical education.
Ron played four years of college football, two at a junior college in Kansas and two at the University of South Dakota.
“I was a U.S. Army soldier. I served two years in Vietnam. I joined the army in 1962, was stationed in Hawaii and volunteered to go to Vietnam in December 1964. I fought with the Vietnamese and was there in March 1965 when the Marines came and the American build-up started at the beginning of the Vietnam War. I was shot in Vietnam and have a Purple Heart,” Ron said.
“I’ve been to Hawaii, all over Asia, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Australia when I was in the army.” Ron added.
Ron has coached football at high school, junior college and university levels. He started coaching high school football in Houston, Texas, and has coached at a junior college in Kansas, Delta State University in Mississippi, Macalester College in Minnesota and Montana State University in Billings, Mont.
Ron’s son, Tyler DuPree, lives in Beaumont, Texas, with his wife of two years, Amber. Tyler has a Ph.D and runs a human resource company. Amber is a registered nurse studying to become a physician’s assistant.
Ron enjoys backpacking, reading, writing and historical (mostly football-related) research. He wrote football guides and weight books for staff and did a personal 12-year study of the Bible which he called “Path Through The Bible” and is currently revising, One of his books, titled “High School Wishbone,” was published in the 1970s. It was about a popular high school football formation.
Ron has taken on the task of compiling a list of the football records set by Meeker High School football players. He spends hours researching archived copies of the Meeker Herald/Rio Blanco Herald Times to find all the football records he can. Ron has also compiled record lists for other schools he coached at.
Meeker is one of the smaller communities Ron has worked and lived in. “I like the beauty of the area. The young people are well-mannered and nice. I like Meeker’s remoteness and small town atmosphere.”