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Goodbye to a Special Lady
The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic lost one of its legends on Friday, August 28, when Ms. Betty Sanford passed away after a lengthy illness.
Ms. Sanford, 97, was the widow of J. Curtis Sanford, who founded the Cotton Bowl Classic in 1937.
“Ms. Sanford was such a sweet and special person,” CBAA president Rick Baker said. “The fact that she was so engaged and involved with our game for so many years shows how deeply she cared about the success of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl.
“What I appreciated the most about Ms. Sanford is the fact that she always supported our entire staff,” said Baker. “That’s especially true with our move to Arlington and AT&T Stadium. When the motion was made by our Board of Directors, she stood up immediately and seconded the motion to relocate to Arlington. That meant a lot to me and every member of our staff.”
Mrs. Sanford’s dedication to the Classic became part of the family legacy. Her son-in-law, John F. Crawford, served as the Chairman of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association from 1994-96 and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 1988. Her daughter, Betty Crawford, has been highly visible and actively involved in the Classic representing her mother at various Cotton Bowl events, including the Big Play Luncheon and Board of Director meetings.
Three of Ms. Sanford’s grandchildren have filled key roles in the management and operation of the Classic. Courtney Crawford Slater became a Cotton Bowl Council member in 2004 and then moved to the Board of Directors in 2012. Elizabeth Crawford Bentrup is the coordinator of the driver’s pool program during Cotton Bowl Week, a position she has held since the 2004 game after joining the driver’s program in 2002. Kristin Crawford Weale’s involvement with the Classic has been with the coordination of logistics in the CBAA ticket office.
She will be missed by all.
