1977 AUTO RACING INDUCTEE FRED GERHARDT Fred Gerhardt was famous as an engineer and builder of racing automobiles in the world. A native of Fresno, Fred knew what he wanted to do at fifteen when he first became interested in how automobile engines worked. Fred’s fascination with cars developed specifically in relation to creating horsepower…
1976 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE AL RADKA Bruce Farris once said, “Every town needs a cheerleader, and Al Radka was certainly Fresno’s. Everywhere he went, Al would be talking about Fresno and what a great place it was to love. “The sixty-six year love affair between Al Radka and Fresno began in 1937 when a young Al…
1976 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE DARYLE LAMONICA It is difficult to imagine a more idyllic career in sports by any definition-exhilaration of competition, expansion of cultural horizons, accumulation of wealth and national recognition-than that which Daryle Lamonica was privileged to experience. He has a remarkable sports resume: four-sport Clovis High School letterman, All-American, Third Team quarterback for…
1976 SOFTBALL INDUCTEE JEANNE CONTEL Jeanne Contel was a standout for the Fresno Rockets amateur softball team, playing in a bygone era when the team was popular entertainment and business sponsors sent the squad traveling throughout the United States. Contel competed fourteen years for the Rockets beginning in 1951 and was known for her prowess…
1976 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE MYRON ANDERSON The Kingsburg native Anderson was a starting guard at 150 pounds on the unbeaten 1930 Fresno State football team and received honorable mention on the Little All American team that year. He was a key player on opening holes in the line for stellar running back Stanley “Frenchy” Bordagary and…
1975 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE JACK MULKEY Jack Mulkey has a unique piece of Fresno State football lore. In 1941, the Dos Palos native was the first Bulldog in school history named to play in the East-West game when it was the biggest All-Star competition in the country. Mulkey transferred from Stanford University to Fresno State in…
1975 ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION INDUCTEE GOLDEN DICE LONG Goldie Long was born in Virginia, but graduated from Sanger High School in 1902. He coached swimming at Roosevelt High School from 1937 to 1945. Perhaps his greatest contribution was as the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) director in Manila and the United States from 1907 to 1937.…
1975 BOWLING INDUCTEE WILLIAM FLESCH In an era where 300 games were not as common as today, Flesch rolled five of them, three which were sanctioned. His highest three-game series was 773. He once bowled 1,200 for five games during a benefit for the Chicago Service Men’s Center. The Illinois native begin managing bowling lanes…
1975 TENNIS INDUCTEE J. NEWTON BRAMBLETT The undisputed king of tennis in the San Joaquin Valley was J. Newton Bramblett from 1920 through 1927. The Fresno High School Class of 1917 graduate attended the University of California from 1923 to 1924, Stanford in 1925, and Fresno State from 1926 to 1927. In the early 1920s,…
1975 COACHING-BASEBALL INDUCTEE MALCOLM BOURDET The victories kept mounting, but the person who paid the least attention was Len Bourdet, who finished his Fresno City College baseball coaching career in 1988 with 722 victories which at that time was the most in California junior college history. Bourdet was one of the many disciples of legendary…