Tuesday, April 06, 2010

What happened to Jerry Williams (BerkeleyHigh School 1963) and Johnny Johnson (Pacific Grove High School 1966)

Does anyone know what happened to Jerry Williams (Berkeley High School 1963) and Johnny Johnson (Pacific Grove High School 1966)?

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Keith... it was my understanding that Jerry (9.4 & 20.5 hand time) went to Texas Southern University after graduating BHS in 1963. I also believe he competed in the 1964 US Olympic Track and Field trials. Don't know anything after that.

Q.

Unknown said...

Keith... here's an update on my previous post... It's from a forum thread on Track & Field News dated Dec. 2008

...And Jerry Williams, who was fifth (between Wheeler and Mann) in that 100, ran at San Jose State, worked as a long-time police officer, and is the father of the current general manager of the Chicago White Sox.

I'm not sure if Jerry went to Texas Southern at first, then came back to SJS or what... Maybe others with more solid info can shed so light on this.

Ralph G. said...

To All,
Jerry Williams and I were on San Jose State University's Track Team in 1967. Jerry was trunning the sprints were we had 6 guys running 9.3 seconds or better for 100 yards. I was running middle distance. I ran track at Berkeley High after Jerry, who still has the BHS track record.
Jerry, according to what I learned in 1993 when I moved back to San Jose to reenter SJSU, Jerry did not become a policeman, he became a Fireman here in an Jose.
My reseach then, and my research may need to be reviewed, was that Jerry and a couple other Black Fireman in San Jose and members of the Black Fireman's Union were being forced to early retirement due to Jerry and others filing a class action lawsuit against the City alleging job discrimination. Jerry and othe Blacks were not allowed to rise to higher commands. It is also my understanding that after Jerry's "retirement" Blacks were further discriminated by San Jose via the creation of legal Jim Crow type policies, from entering San Jose Firemen training and educational programs.
I lived in E. San Jose, which is known as a predominately Latino community a few years ago and just two blocks from where I lived the fire department had a 100% white Firemen. That department is not unique. San Jose's Civil Servents' best jobs are still reserved to whites and "honerary whites." Latinos dominate housekeeping and street cleaning jobs. Open your eyes and see for yourself.
Ralph Gámez
BA-Criminology
SJSU Track & Field, Cross Country
Berkeley High School

Anonymous said...

according to track and field news 1963 Jerry Williams ran a 9.5 and a 9.4 W, 20.5 in 220. Sloane, you stand corrected.

Anonymous said...

Williams did not run the 1964 us Oly. trials in either sprint or LJ.

Anonymous said...

Jerry Williams was a man among boys up in norcal, multi talented in sprints and LJ. however the socal sections had sprinters as fast or faster than him, evidenced by state finals results.
I thought Forrest Beaty 1962 was multi talented also, obviously faster at 9.4/20.2(nat. record) but also a few 400 yd. runs(47.3), 10.4 100 meters and I heard could jump well over 23 ft, but again not many times. He was a big relay specialist also. Beaty was a big time footballer player, not sure how many years Williams was football.

Anonymous said...

Steve caminti Crespi HS Encino 13.7/18.1 national records 1964 ran sprints in college at New Mexico. Co-holder school record 9.4 100 yd. dash. Ran 1967 NCAA 46th annual meet.

Anonymous said...

jerry had a 20.4w 220 also in 1963.