Bill Mumma

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Bill Mumma is in many ways the founding father of sports in Riverside.

Bill led the Stivers, Ohio High School basketball team to the Ohio state championship in 1917 and 1918 and was Ohio’s state champion in the 880 and the mile run. Following graduation, he enrolled in the YMCA College in Chicago, a school dedicated to producing athletic directors and coaches. He was the only athlete to letter in football, basketball, track and baseball before graduating in 1923 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education.

Landing a job as the athletic director and coach at Riverside Poly High/Riverside Junior College, in his new position Bill coached basketball at the Riverside Poly High School as well as football, baseball and track at Riverside Junior College. In 1925 and 1926 his college teams included Jesse Hill and Jess Mortenson, who both became players and coaches for USC. His RCC teams won Southern California Championships in four sports, a feat that has not since been repeated at Riverside City College. He eventually stepped away from college coaching to focus on coaching at Riverside Poly.

At Poly, he coached the football, basketball and track teams. In 1933, Poly claimed its first Citrus Belt League title and repeated again in 1935. He was a master of organization and putting on events, especially in the area of track and field. One of the most popular programs he created was the Annual Sports Carnival at Poly. In this event, hundreds of boys took part and it became so popular that the entire student body was let out to attend the event.

In 1956, the United States Air Force held its Worldwide Air Force Track Meet at Poly High School’s Wheelock Stadium. This was the first Air Force track meet ever held on the West Coast and it was just prior to the Olympic trials. Bill served as the meet manager and was responsible for preparing the field and conducting all of the events, using a large staff of volunteers. He was given high acclaim and praise for the precision with which he organized and conducted this event. Letters from the Air Force lauded him for his organizational skills and enthusiasm.

In his later years at Poly, Bill concentrated on coaching cross country and the Bears won seven straight CBL championships from 1949 to 1956. Capping off his long and illustrious career, Bill was honored by being elected to the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame in 1959. In 2008, Bill was inducted into the Stivers High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

In May of 1962, Bill retired from the Riverside Unified School District, finishing a coaching career spanning 39 years. Upon retirement, he took up the sport of lawn bowling. He immediately excelled, winning many local and national tournaments and served as the President of the Riverside Lawn Bowling Club for many years before passing away in 1973.

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