Walter Gordon: A Cal Legend and Civil Rights Icon

Walter Gordon shattered racial barriers on the gridiron to become the University of California’s first All-American, launching a remarkable life of public service that profoundly shaped the legal and political landscape of the twentieth century.

Football Bio

October 10, 1894 – Walter Gordon was born.

Walter grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and was the grandson of an enslaved person.

Mr. Gordon became one of the first black football players on the West Coast.

The National Football Foundation’s bio says Gordon was a great lead blocker on offense and a hard-hitting tackler on defense.

The National Football Foundation selected him to enter the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

After graduation, Walter joined the Berkeley Police Force, attended law school, and became a lawyer in 1922.

He coached football and conducted some scouting for California University.

Eventually, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him the Governor of the US Virgin Islands.[National Football Foundation]

Walter Gordon built a legendary legacy that far transcended sports, using his collegiate fame and unstoppable work ethic as a springboard to conquer the legal field, advocate for social justice, and guide transformative political reform.

Accolades and Football Accomplishments

• Appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as Governor of the US Virgin Islands in 1955, and later served as a Federal District Judge.
• Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
• Named a Third-Team All-American in 1918 (the first All-American in Cal history and one of the first two African-American All-Americans in college football, alongside Paul Robeson).
• Won California State Championships in both collegiate boxing and wrestling while at Cal.
• Served as a scout and assistant coach for Cal’s football team for 24 years, contributing to multiple national championship seasons.
• Became the first African American police officer in Berkeley, California.
• Graduated as the first African American from Cal’s Boalt Law School.
• Served as Chairman of the California Adult Authority (parole board).

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