Hall of Fame: James Kalaeone Clark (1948)

A member of the famed Clark athletic clan, Jimmy richly deserves Hall of Fame honors for his high school, college and professional athletic career. A three-year letterman at Punahou in both football and track, Jimmy was for three years a first string, two-way starting tackle on the football squad. Elected captain of the team in his senior year, he was also a unanimous selection for first team honors on every all-star team.This article appears as originally published in the Summer 1982 issue of the Punahou Bulletin.

A member of the ’46, ’47 and ’48 championship track teams, Jimmy was undefeated high school shot-put champion in his senior year and established records in the Punahou Relays, Maui Relays and the C.Y.O. Invitational Track meets.

 

At Oregon State he continued his career as a two-way starting lineman – beginning in his first year when he made the freshman squad and continuing during his three years of varsity competition. In his senior year, 1952, he was elected by his teammates as Oregon State’s best lineman (Otto Sitton Award). Jimmy was also one of the very few college players that year to be selected to play in three post-season bowl games; the Shrine East-West game, the Hula Bowl, and the College All-Star game. He became the first Hawaiian ever selected to play for the Collegiates, who that year played against the N.F.L. World Champion L.A. Rams.

Jimmy joined the Oregon state Wrestling team in his junior year (having never wrestled before) and was good enough to become the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Heavy-weight Wrestling Champion in 1951; he was ineligible his senior year.

In 1952, Jimmy was the Washington Redskins third draft choice, which won him a place on Oscar-Fraley’s “Real All-American” college football squad, picked strictly on N.F.L. draft rank. He was the highest drafted Punahou football player ever.

Jimmy retired from football after only two seasons with Washington to take a position with the Hawaii Government Employees’ Association and retired after 20 years as HGEA deputy director. Entering politics in 1962 he was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives. In 1966 he was elected to the State Senate. He currently is serving his second term as labor representative on the Hawaii Public Employment Relations Board (HPERB).

Zeen is a next generation WordPress theme. It’s powerful, beautifully designed and comes with everything you need to engage your visitors and increase conversions.