1978 HALL OF FAME CO-FOUNDER INDUCTEE JOHN VOENES John G. Voenes was a remarkable person. Voenes, the son of Goodfellows Grill owner George Voenes, was the first Fresno State Alumni Executive Director in 1947, a job that he held for three years. The close-cropped hair, big smile, engaging personality, and strong work ethic served the…
1978 BASEBALL INDUCTEE “VIC” LOMBARDI Victor Lombardi was born in Berkeley, but moved to Tulare at an early age. Though small in stature, he became one of the finest high school pitchers in the Valley. The late Hall of Fame coach Pete Beiden recognized the potential of this 5’7″, 150-pounder at Tulare High School and…
1978 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE “JIMMY” JOHNSON Golf and fishing are his favorite pastimes now, but any long-time San Francisco 49ers follower remembers James “Jimmy” Johnson as one of the great defensive cornerbacks in the history of the NFL. Johnson played sixteen seasons with the Niners and was ushered into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1994.…
1978 TRACK & FIELD INDUCTEE CHARLES L. GEER This pioneer educator and coach was a native of South Dakota, but came west and graduated from Stanford University. Geer was connected to the Coalinga school system from 1911 until 1921. In 1971, the athletic grounds at Coalinga High School were dedicated as the Charles L. Geer…
1978 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE SAM BOGHOSIAN When Sam Boghosian left the Fresno County Hospital at twelve following an eleven-month struggle with polio, his doctor gave him a grim prognosis: “You will always walk with a limp and you will never run.” Even though his right calf is an inch and a half smaller than his left,…