Though he spent the first three weeks of his life in Drake, North Dakota, where he was born while his mother was visiting her parents, Ross Johnson proved himself a true native son by devoting his life to serving California as a public servant.
Johnson was a long-time California State Legislator and the first person ever to serve as a party leader in both houses of the legislature. He most recently served as chairperson of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. [Read more…]
Gary Shepard - Class of 1959
Gary served our country for 25 years as a fighter pilot in the US Air Force. He flew 100 combat missions over North Vietnam and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with eleven Air Medals.
In Vietnam, he did the planning for and leadership of 82% of the combat missions that he flew. His missions only lost one plane. They always hit their specified targets and never got lost. He was recognized as the most proficient air combat maneuvering pilot in his Air Command. He was selected as the Command Representative by a 4 Star General to represent him and the command at major unit deployments throughout the United States.
[Read more…]
U.S. Senator Thomas Henry Kuchel was born Aug. 15, 1910 in Anaheim to Henry and Letitia Kuchel. While growing up, Kuchel often aided his father who, for 48 years, was publisher of the Anaheim Gazette, the city’s newspaper of record.
From an early age, Thomas grew to have an interest in the political process by regularly reading the Congressional Quarterly out loud to his father.
Another defining event in the life of Thomas Kuchel came during his teenage years. In 1924, the Ku Klux Klan began to aggressively recruit members in Southern California. At one point, the Klan claimed to have a membership of 1,400 in their Anaheim chapter.
Sharron Backus – Class of 1963
Born Feb. 12, 1946, Sharron Backus is an Anaheim’s hometown girl who made good as an all-star athlete. A softball icon, she coached the UCLA women’s softball team for 21 seasons between 1975 and 1996, leading the Lady Bruins to nine national championships.
A member of the UCLA Hall of Fame, Sharron was architect of the UCLA softball dynasty and holds the record as the winningest Division 1 softball coach in NCAA history, posting a lifetime record of 847-167-3 (.835).
Backus and the Bruins brought eight national championship trophies to Westwood (seven NCAA and one AIAW) including an unprecedented three in a row (‘88, ’89, ’90). The Backus-era trophy case also includes four second-place trophies and three third-place awards.
Her UCLA teams played in the College World Series 16 times. Sharron coached a total of 53 All-Americans, including Player of the Decade (1980’s) Dot Richardson and Lisa Fernandez, the first softball player to ever win the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup as the top female collegiate athlete in 1993.
Sharron was inducted into the Women’s Sports Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993, the National Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Hall of Fame in 1985. She was also named coach of the year four times in her career.
As a player, the Cal State Fullerton graduate had a legendary ASA career. A star shortstop, Backus was instrumental in seven ASA championships (‘61,’65 and ’71-‘75) and two international championships (‘72 and ’74) as well as three professional World Championships (’76-‘78).
During her amateur softball career, she played from ‘61-‘75 for the Whittier Gold Sox, and from ’64-’66 for the Orange Lionettes. Backus batted .268, .298 and .301 for the Gold Sox and was a second-team All-American in 1961, as the Gold Sox won the national title.
During her three years with the Lionettes, she was a first-team All-American in 1964 and 1966. She batted .285, .293 and .263 those three years.
Sharron spent the last seven years of her career with the Brakettes, achieving a .292 batting average (.361 in 1971 was her highest batting average) and earned All-America laurels three times.
While at Anaheim, Sharon was an all-round athlete. At AHS, she was a star player in softball, basketball, swimming (held the record for the 25-yard backstroke), basketball, hockey and badminton. Sharron was Girls’ Athletic Association president and named GAA Girl of the Year in 1963 for her outstanding play at shortstop.
Class of 1961 graduate Jerry Stephenson lived the dream of many young American boys when he signed with the Boston Red Sox on June 17, 1961, only days after graduating from Anaheim High. As a senior at Anaheim, Jerry was named the Sunset League’s Most Valuable varsity baseball player.
Jerry was a major league baseball pitcher for nine years, playing for Boston, the Seattle Pilots (later becoming the Milwaukee Brewers) and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Born Sept. 12, 1949, Chic Burlingame was one day short of celebrating his 52nd birthday when he died fighting hijackers who caused American Airlines Flight 77 to crash into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
An aeronautical engineer and honors graduate from the Navy’s Top Gun fighter pilot school, he served eight years flying F-4 Phantom fighters and 17 years as a reservist. A Persian Gulf War veteran, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. [Read more…]
One of Anaheim High’s most successful athletes is Class of 1963’s Loy M. Petersen, the only graduate to play in the National Basketball Association.
Petersen, a 6-foot-5 forward and guard, was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (17th overall) of the 1968 NBA draft. He played 69 career games over two seasons for the Bulls from 1968–1970.
He was a much sought after following his outstanding career with the Oregon State University Men’s Basketball Team from 1965 to 1968 [Read more…]
The largest group of golfers and dinner guests in the five-year history of the AHSAA Golf Classic ensured the repeated success of the fund-raising event that supports scholarships, school clubs and programs and campus improvement project. The 5th annual event included the induction of Don Liebhart ’45 and Loy Petersen ’63 into the Anaheim High School Hall of Fame.
Several Hall of Fame athletes will be among players in the 5th Annual Anaheim High School Alumni Association Golf Classic slated for Monday, Feb. 17 at Western Hills Country Club.
Jim Fassel – Class of 1967
The day will include AHS football legend Mickey Flynn from Class of ‘57 driving the course to serve beverages to golfers ranging from former N.Y. Giants Super Bowl coach Jim Fassel from Class of ’67 to Loy Petersen, a ’63 grad who played pro basketball with the Chicago Bulls.
Petersen and his award-winning coach, Don Liebhart, a Class of ’45 Anaheim High grad, will be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame during the dinner portion of the event.
Other former pro athletes playing or participating include:
Clint Stark ’59, a pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals; Ron Davini ’65, College World Series MVP and Chicago White Sox; and Dick Baney ’65, who played for the Cincinnati Reds and was the World Series pitcher who beat the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium to win the pennant for the Reds. Baney is donating some of his personal Cincinnati baseball possessions.
Also golfing is Jeff Severson, who was a defensive back with the Washington Redskins & L.A. Rams.
Golf Chairman Phil Anton ’63 and a former player with the Dallas Cowboys, announced that the stakes just got hotter thanks to Paul Schulte of Miller Toyota of Anaheim. Golfers lucky (or skilled) enough to make a hole-in-one will win a brand new vehicle, among other gifts provided by the dealership.
Many other auction items have been donated by area businesses, as well as Anaheim alumni. At last count, there was an impressive assortment of live and silent auction items ranging from suite tickets for the Ducks and Angels, admission to nearly ever major Southern California attraction, hotel stays, restaurant gift certificates and much more.
Anton stressed that the event is open to golfers and non-golfers. With a shot-gun start, scramble format, and the availability of Mulligans, all stand a chance to win contests and prizes.
Cost to golf, including cart, range balls, lunch, dinner, goodie bag and other prizes, is $150. Dinner only is $35. Forms may be downloaded from www.anaheimcolonists.com. Reservations may also be e-mailed to anaheimalumni@yahoo.com. Contact Anton at 714/815-9562 for more information on sponsorship opportunities.
Destined to be a Colonist, Don Liebhart was born June 15, 1927 in Anaheim, and grew up dreaming of becoming an Anaheim High athlete. However, those dreams were dashed when he was stricken with polio in early childhood. With encouragement from his father, who would not let his son use his disability as an excuse, Don exercised his withered leg daily and, by the grace of God, was able to maintain use of his leg.
And what legs they became! They grew to carry Don at a height of 5-foot-10 and on to an amazing journey as an athlete, an award-winning basketball coach and dedicated teacher, father and grand-father. [Read more…]
