Hall of Fame
It’s nearly impossible to make a trip through Madison, Wisconsin, and not find something with the Goodman name attached to it. That is the direct result of the unbelievable charitable efforts of brothers Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Goodman brothers were drawn to sports, and in 1937, Irwin as a University of Minnesota track & field student-athlete came to Madison to compete against the University of Wisconsin in track & field. He fell in love with the city and the rest, as they say, is history. Two years later his younger brother, Bob, joined him in moving to the capital city as business partners in a downtown jewelry store.
While Irwin excelled as a shot-putter and discus thrower, Bob, who also threw a pretty good shot put, took to baseball growing up. In Madison, he became known as one of the finest baseball and softball players in the city. The seven-time city softball champion was named to Madison’s all-time softball team in 1974.
The Goodmans quickly became staples of the local Madison athletic scene, playing in rec leagues and building a competitive reputation. They also began showing their charitable side, donating money to various worthy causes and efforts throughout Dane County. And without fail, those two interests often intersected.
The two brothers were both enshrined in the Madison Sports Hall of Fame and via their Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Foundation, have continued to show their kindness and generosity well past their deaths in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
In June 2015, the Goodman Foundation and Madison College announced a $6.7-million donation to create the Irwin A. & Robert D. Goodman Sports Complex building state-of-the-art softball and soccer fields. The gift represented the largest financial contribution in the school's 103-year history and the largest donation awarded by the Goodman Foundation at the time. The facility opened in the spring of 2017 and has since hosted amateur and professional athletic events at many levels.
For their spirit of community, generosity, dedication to Madison College and beyond, and for their love of their adopted hometown, they are Madison College Athletic Hall of Famers.
