Eddie Manuel was the President of the Class of 1949. He played junior varsity football and basketball before earning his varsity monogram as the manager of the football teams from 1946-1948 coached by Hunter Maddex.

Eddie served with the U. S. Army during the Korean War. He returned to Winchester after the war and married Polly Simpson, an elementary teacher with Winchester Public Schools.

Eddie was a letter carrier with the U. S. Postal Service for 33 years. He joined Braddock Realty following his retirement.

A faithful member of the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, he served several terms on the church council. He was a member of the Winchester Parks and Recreation Board and was active with the Winchester Little League Football program.

Eddie was a founding member of the Shawnee Lions Club. He wanted those who could not leave work during the day to have an opportunity to experience membership in the Lions organization.

Eddie had an idea to create an organization of supporters who could provide the students of Handley with opportunities to excel on the playing fields and with scholarship funds to pursue higher education after their Handley years. He was one of the founders of the Judges Athletic Association (JAA) and became the organization’s first President in 1957.

Since its inception, the JAA has awarded over $2.3 million in scholarships and over $1 million in equipment and uniforms to the athletic department. Every student athlete in every sport at Handley during the last sixty five years has been impacted by Eddie Manuel’s work with the Judges Athletic Association.

The JAA recognizes not only student athletes but also the contributions of individual members of the community who have provided support to the student athletes at Handley. The Eddie Manuel Outstanding Service Award has been presented annually by the JAA since 1991, the year of Eddie’s death.