James "Cap" Haralson (2009) - Hall of Fame

James "Cap" Haralson

Induction:
2009

James "Cap" Haralson competed for UCLA in the early 1920's. He was UCLA's first ever athletes to earn 4 varsity letters in the sport of track and field, football basketball & baseball. Haralson was given the nickname "Cap" by track and field coach Harry Trotter in 1922 when he named Haralson the team captain before his sophomore season. Haralson served as the captain of the track and field team for three seasons and as the football team captain for two seasons. Haralson was the most famous Bruin athlete of his era, and established a javelin record that would last for twenty years and a high hurdles record that stood for fifteen years. After UCLA, Haralson became the track coach at Kern County High School and led the Drillers to two California State Championships and became one of the most respected track coaches in the state over his twenty years at KCHS. Haralson served for five years as chairman of the USA Track & Field Committee under the AAU and supervised the construction of the Memorial Stadium Athletic Complex in Bakersfield. Haralson helped bring many nationally significant track and field meets to Bakersfield with the draw of holding competitions on the track at Memorial Stadium. The Memorial Stadium track surface featured a new dirt formula Haralson brought to the U.S. from a venue in Norway. Haralson was named "Kern County Mr. Track" and served the community there for 42 years as a teacher, coach, and administrator before his death in 1967.