Stan Williamson
Stan Williamson
Graduating Class of 1943
Although he stood just 5-foot-4, Stan Williamson will always stand tall in the eyes of Astoria High School basketball enthusiasts.
In the pre-Wilt Cahmberlain era of basketball, it was not uncommon for high school basketball teams to be loaded with sub-6-foot cagers. Even at the college level, teams were usually directed by those of larger porportions.
As a Astoria High School basketball player, Williamson had large shoes to fill, even if they were just size eight!
In the 1920’s AHS’s Algot “Swede” Westergren (5-foot-7) was an All-American at the University of Oregon. In the 1940’s, Bobby Anet (5-foot-8) also gained All-American status as a Duck. It was not the 1940’s, and Stan Williamson stepped up and accepted the challenge. With 14 current or future AHS Hall of Famers in the Fishermen hoop program in 1941, coach Wally Palmberg did not bringWilliamson to the varsity until his senior year.
With three future Pac-10 starters in the lineup, the 1941 JV’s lost only to varsities of Warrenton and Garabaldi high schools.
Their older classmates, always pushed in practices by the JV’s, went on to claim the state basketball championship that year with a 24-8 record. Once elevated to the varsity in 1942, Williamson’s career would jump to another level. Astoria raced to another state title and rolled up a 27-4 win-loss ledger. The last 11 wins came consecutively and did not end until the 1943 Fishermen five had stretched the streak to 30 straight wins.
A 35-30 win over the Oregon State frosh and a 22-20 loss to the University of Oregon freshmen were highlights of the season.
Not known as a scorer, Williamson finished behind Rube Wirkkunen in the AHS season scoring parade with 218 points in 30 games.
At the state tournament, Williamson scored just 25 points in four Astoria victories, but his leadership and overall floor game were flawless. Tournament officials made him an easy choice for the all-tournament first team, along with teammate Wirkkunen.
After graduation, Williamson was ready to enroll at Long Island University, the reining cage power in the nation at the time, but the University of Oregon wooed him away from the Blackbirds - and the rest is history.
As a Duck freshmen, WIlliamson earned a letter with Howard Hobson’s 19-10 varsity. A two year stint with Uncle Sam failed to slow Williamson, now a few inches taller. Upon his return to McArthur Court, Williamson would become one of a very select group of University of Oregon cagers to letter four times.
As a junior and senior he was named team captain of the Ducks. In his final season he was named to the All-Pacific Coast Conference team (a forerunner of today’s Pac-10 Conference). Voted to the other all-conference guard spot was Williamson’s old Astoria High teammate, Cliff Crandall, now putting up All-American stats up the road at Oregon State university.
His final campaign with Oregon saw John Warren at the helm of the 18-11 Webfoots, making Astoria High School Hall of Fame inductees, Palmberg and Warren. Williamson showed his leadership off the court by being elected president of the University of Oregon student body in 1947.