By Woodrow Carroll
There are a number of high schools around the country that as soon as you mention the school’s name there is almost instant recognition. And, very often the recognition is based on the school’s athletic achievements. With that in mind let’s hone in on McClymonds High School in Oakland, Calif..
Before we bring up names such as basketball great Bill Russell and baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, both McClymonds’ graduates, a bit of fill in information is needed.
McClymonds High School opened in 1915. The school’s name honored John W. McClymonds a superintendent in the Oakland School System. Located in the West Oakland District, the school demographics were largely white prior to World War II. In the late-1940s and 1950s, a sizable influx of African American families turned the school predominately African American in enrollment.
Now, let’s talk about Ida Louise Jackson!
Ida Louise Jackson was a very determined African American woman born in Mississippi who ended up in California. While Jackson had a number of college and university degrees, she was long denied a teaching position in the Oakland School System for largely spurious, and racist reasons. When she finally was hired it was to teach at McClymonds after a lengthy battle. Jackson did leave her mark around the country advocating civil rights. Yet, she largely stayed at McClymonds retiring in 1953.
Frank Robinson was not the only Hall of Fame baseball player to come out of McClymonds.
Early on, the McClymonds school district had of sizable number of Italian immigrant families. In 1908, Ernie Lombardi was born in Oakland. As is often the case when one reads a person’s biography, the word attended is used. In Ernie Lombardi’s case, we are told that Lombardi attended McClymonds. One might then hazard a guess that Lombardi did not graduate from the school .
A catcher who threw and hit right handed, Lombardi played in the Majors from 1931-1947. What Lombardi could do was hit. What he could not do was run! He was a man of ample girth, to say the least. More than one sports writer described Lombardi as the slowest player to ever succeed in the Majors.
It was with the Cincinnati Reds in the late-1930s that Lombardi came into his own as a Major League player. The “Schnozz” as he was known among other nicknames for his pronounced nose led the National League in hitting in 1938 with a .342 batting average. Again in 1942, now playing for the Boston Braves, Lombardi topped the National League with a .330 batting average.
Seemingly bereft of foot speed, Lombardi did manage to come up with 27 triples during his career in the Majors. And, he was involved in 261 double plays as you might suspect.
Sadly, Lombardi will always be known for his connection to Willard Hershberger who committed suicide during the 1940 Season.
Hershberger graduated from Fullerton (California) Union High School where he teamed up with future President Richard Nixon among others. (Nixon’s junior and senior years were at Whittier High School.) At the time of his tragic demise, Hershberger, 30, was the Cincinnati Reds’ backup catcher being used when Lombardi was not available or injured.
The fates were against Hershberger whose father had taken his life when Willard was senior in high school. The 1940 season was a good one for the Reds who downed the Detroit Tigers in seven games to capture the World Series. Hershberger and Lombardi were popular with Reds’ fans making the tragedy all the harder to fathom.
Lombardi’s final season in the Majors was 1947. In 1986 Lombardi was elected to the Hall of Fame. Lombardi “the Gentle Giant” passed away in in 1997.