Bill Hargiss at the Kansas State Athletic Commission, 1952
Topeka, KS

 Note by Genevieve Hargiss:

     In 1952 the executive secretary of the State Athletic Commission died, and Bill was appointed to the position.  From 1952 to 1962 he was executive secretary to the State Athletic Commission.
     The main function of the office was to control professional boxing and wrestling in Kansas. Bill had no respect for either, but he seemed to rather enjoy the challenge to be tougher than the toughest of his clients, some of whom were borderline underworld characters ready to break the law whenever they thought they could get away with it. Bill was more than equal to the job and, while the pay was not great, it was regular and dependable. 
     Bill was also athletic commissioner of the Central Intra-Collegiate Conference.
     In 1960 he was given leave of absence to coach the Air Force Olympics team.
    

The Kansas Athletic Commission

No contest ruling

Hargiss and the KAC

     In 1962 the Kansas Athletic Commission was abolished. Bill was now almost 75 years old, and he decided reluctantly that it was time to retire. With the help of Raymond Nichols at KU, he claimed, successfully, a pension from the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System for the years he had taught in state institutions. This, with his social security income, was enough. Vera had died in 1955, and his children were self-supporting. He was no longer responsible for others, and his own needs were few.