Bill Lockyer (1993) - Hall of Fame - Long Beach State University Athletics

Bill Lockyer

Induction:
1993

Fascinated by rowing from the time he watched the 1932 Olympics as a youngster in Long Beach, Lockyer accepted the assignment, for $1 a year, of building a rowing program at Long Beach State. Lockyer coached the 49ers for 13 seasons, establishing a program that eventually became powerful enough to beat Cal by 13.5 seconds in a two-mile race, a feat no other Southern California university could claim. Lockyer's 1962, '63 and '64 teams were ranked among the top five in the nation. During his coaching tenure, Lockyer developed two world class rowers in Tom McKibbon and John Van Blom and also trained the coach, Ed Graham, who would eventually replace him at Long Beach State. Lockyer died in 1991.