Bio

The late Gil Bishop is on the short list of the most influential Bakersfield people since the end of World War II.

Bishop died in 2002 at the age of 88 but his influence on countless individuals continues to this day.

Bishop is best known as BC's athletic director from 1954-1968.

Bishop is credited with being the force behind the plans for Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1955 and remains arguably the top community college stadium in California and possibly the nation.

During his years at BC, Bishop hired many coaches that helped propel the college into one of the most highly touted community college athletic programs in the state.

Among those he hired were Collis, Herb Loken, Carl Bowser, Jim Turner, Harvel Pollard, Walt Johnson, Duane Damron, Claude Gilbert, Norm Hoffman, Hank Pfister and Bruce Pftzenreuter. All are members of the Bob Elias Kern County Sports Hall of Fame.

Bishop's national and international track and field contacts helped lure many outstanding track and field meets to Memorial Stadium from the 1950s through the 1970s.

Bishop was also well known in track circles as an announcer at many of the top track meets held in Bakersfield and elsewhere, including National Sports Festival meets in Syracuse, N.Y., and Indianapolis, Ind.; along with the 1968 Olympic Team Trials in South Lake Tahoe.

Bishop was born in Shandon, near Paso Robles, on Dec. 27, 1913. He came to Bakersfield in 1942 as head basketball coach and assistant football coach at East High.

After joining the Navy in 1943 and serving in World War II, he returned to East High in 1946 and served as athletic director and head coach in basketball and track.

He left East to become BC's basketball coach in 1953 and became athletic director the following year.
Information gathered by Bakersfield.com