Marvin L. McCown – November 1933 to October 2023.

Marvin Lee McCown was born in a small rural community in western Nebraska in 1933. He served in the US Navy for 23 years during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, working in Navy intelligence. During his service, he earned numerous medals and ribbons and was awarded a Bronze Star with Combat V for his actions in Vietnam. After retiring from the Navy in 1975, Marv returned to Nebraska and purchased a resort on Lake McConaughy, which he aptly named Admiral's Cove. The resort is operating to this day. In 1986, Marv moved to Kansas to serve as the Executive Vice President of the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce. Through his work in the tourism and economic development industry, Marv hosted radio programs and provided play-by-play commentary at games. He was responsible for bringing the NBC World Series, the Good Sams RV Club, and the turkey hunt to El Dorado. Marv served on numerous tourism boards and acted as a mentor to other Chamber directors and tourism directors. In 1986, Marv and then Governor Mike Hayden brought to life the Kansas Governor's One Shot Turkey Hunt and was recognized around the country as an event to be patterned after. It went on until it's last event in 2022 and ultimate dissolution. He married the love of his life, Judy, in 1998. Marv worked at the Chamber until his retirement in 2001 but continued his work with the turkey hunt for another eleven years. His love for his country, his community, and his family is still evident today in El Dorado and the people who knew him.

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At the 2024 Kansas One Shot Turkey Hunt (replacing the previous hunt), the board of directors raised funds to begin a memorial scholarship in Marv's honor. This scholarship will be managed through the Butler Community College Foundation for a transfer student emphasizing entrepreneurship, leadership, outdoor wildlife management, or biology.

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Donations can be made to this endowed fund through the link below.