Hall of Fame
Larry Ellison is the only athlete to receive the Meguiar Outstanding Male Athlete Award twice. Repeats were not allowed at the time. However, his first award came after a brilliant high school career at Pasadena HS where he played football, basketball and baseball. Three years later at Pasadena College where there was no football, he won the Meguiar award again for starring in basketball and baseball.
In his senior year, Ellison was a starting guard on the PC basketball team that reeled off 17-straight victories to begin the season. The Crusaders won the District Three Championship for the coveted prize of participating in the NAIA Nationals in Kansas City and eventually finished the season was a record of 25-5, seventh in the nation. Immediately after, Ellison donned his cleats and jumped into the starting lineup where he had been for the previous two years. He hit .330, stole 15 bases, secured the team’s MVP and topped it off with the First Team All-District Three and Honorable Mention All-American awards.
Interest, abilities and loyalties, a timely graduation and expanded programs at PC resulted in an immediate four-year coaching commitment by Ellison in cross country and track. He also spent a few years coaching wrestling and assisting in baseball. In 1973, when the college moved to San Diego, Ellison accepted the office manager’s job at Christian Brothers Inc. in Los Angeles.
Ellison married Merlene Richie who had made numerous contributions to the athletics department serving as secretary and CSA Special Projects Director. All three of their children graduated from Point Loma College.
The award for Outstanding Achievement by an Athlete was presented to Ellison by Jim Bond.
