SPORTS LORE
by Jim Carter
special to The-Star Herald
Hubert S. “Billy” Shaw was an outstanding student athlete at Presque Isle High School. He was born January 23, 1916 to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Shaw who resided on Park Street. He graduated from Gouldville School and entered Presque Isle High School in the fall of 1928.
While attending high school he was an active member of the student body, including membership in the band, orchestra, glee club, debating team (which finished in the State finals) and student council; he participated in track and football for two years, and baseball four years. He was outstanding in baseball, playing an excellent defensive second base and the team’s offensive catalyst, developing a reputation as a dangerous and timely hitter. Shaw was also the 1932 class valedictorian. At the conclusion of his senior year he competed, through a competitive exam process for the $500 Maine Scholarship offered by Bowdoin College. The state was divided into eight regions and Shaw was the winner for the Aroostook Region.
Shaw along with Hal Cheney, Verdelle Clark and his brother, Walter Shaw, led the Wildcats to the Aroostook League Baseball Championship with a 9-1 record. He continued his outstanding baseball play in the Junior American Legion Baseball League, performing for the Presque Isle Midgets. The team was built around Shaw and Jack Goldstone, with Shaw dividing his time between first base and the pitchers mound.
Shaw entered Bowdoin College in the fall of 1932; while there he played half-back on the football team for two years and was a four year member of the baseball team, serving as captain his senior year. He figured prominently in leading Bowdoin to Maine’s intercollegiate baseball championship. During the summers of his college years he played for the Presque Isle Indians in the semi-pro Aroostook League. He was rewarded for his excellent play by being selected as one of the players in the state to play against the Boston Red Sox in Bangor in June, 1935 and was also one of the Aroostook All-stars that played against the Boston Braves the same summer in Houlton. He and teammate Hal Cheney played like seasoned veterans against the two professional teams. During his four years with the Presque Isle semi-pro team, Shaw had a lifetime batting average of well over .300 and was selected to the Aroostook League All-Star team four times.
In the summer of 1936, Shaw and Clarence Keegan of Robinson were invited to Baltimore to try out for the U.S. Olympic team. Amateur baseball stars from all sections of the country invaded Baltimore for the final tryouts. Selected players would represent the United States in the Amateur Baseball Olympic demonstration games in Berlin, Germany. After the Olympic games, the team then traveled to Holland, Belgium, Paris and London for exhibition games. When tryouts were concluded, Linn S. Wills, Maine representative for the United States Amateur Baseball Congress, announced that both Shaw and Keegan had been selected to the U.S. Olympic team. Keegan played at third base and Shaw manned the first base bag. Fourteen players were selected from this group. They then traveled to New York where they were joined by another five ballplayers who were affiliated with Philadelphia’s Penn Athletic Club. The team embarked on the SS Manhattan on Wednesday, July 15.
On Aug. 12, 1936 the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in Europe or the United States (100,000) jammed the Olympic Stadium to watch two American amateur teams play a demonstration game. The two teams were named the “World Champions” and the “U.S. Olympics”. The left-hand hitting Shaw batting third, had the honor of hitting the first home run in Olympic play. He struck for an inside-the-park home run with a man on base in the first inning of the game, giving the U.S Olympics the early 2-0 lead in a game which his team eventually lost, 6-5. Bill Shaw returned home from Olympics play in late August, 1936, arriving in New York on the U.S. Roosevelt. Upon arriving home, he immediately joined his Presque Isle Indian teammates for a game against the Danforth A. A. whom they defeated with Shaw collecting two hits, including a double. A “Bill Shaw Day” was planned to welcome home the local Olympic hero.
On Tuesday, July 31, 1984 six of the 1936 baseball Olympians met for a reception in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ stadium club. Shaw was unable to attend because of surgery and telephoned instead for a conversation with his teammates. Two nights later, the Los Angeles Angels played host to another gathering, introducing the honored guests via the stadium scoreboard during their game with the Minnesota Twins.
Hubert and his brother, Walter received their diplomas from Bowdoin June 20, 1936. Hubert received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, was captain of the varsity baseball team, State of Maine Scholar and senior class secretary. He was a member of the varsity baseball team, the band, the board of directors, the student council and the student council disciplinary committee. He was also a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity.
After the Olympics, Shaw entered Harvard University and received a Master of Arts Degree in Biology in 1937. That fall he accepted a teaching position at St. Albans School in Washington D.C where he taught chemistry and biology; he also coached football and baseball. The chemistry laboratory at St. Albans School was dedicated in his name several years ago. He was described as a “no-nonsense, well-disciplined teacher who expected his students to do their homework.”
Shaw played semi-pro baseball for St. Albans of the Northern League in Vermont during 1937 season. The Northern League was conceived as a “collegiate” summer league and was comprised of eight teams: St. Albans (Vt.), Plattsburg (N.Y.), Burlington (Vt.), Saranac Lake (N.Y.), Malone (N.Y.), Montpelier (Vt.), Rutland (Vt.) and Tupper Lake (N.Y.). It developed many players who went on to play in the major leagues. He finished the ’37 season 17th in the league with a .326 batting average, he was eighth in the league with a .415 slugging percentage, third in fielding average at .987 and played in all 59 games. He led St. Albans Lions in fielding, hitting and total bases. He signed to play with St. Albans again for the 1938 season, this season however they would be known as the “Giants”. For the Giants he had a .271 batting average with 26 RBI and displayed his usual outstanding defense at first base. During the summer of 1939, while playing for the Lancaster Pilots of the Twin State League, he sustained a separated shoulder which essentially ended his semi-professional baseball career. He did play in 45 games that summer finishing the season with a .213 average. His .988 fielding average placed him third in the league in fielding.
In August of 1943, Shaw entered the Navy and in March of 1944, he was assigned to the West Coast Training Command Combat Information Center School at San Diego, California as an instructor in Fighter Direction, Air Radar Search and Surface Search Radar. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant before he was separated from active duty in February, 1946. At the end of WWII, he returned to St. Albans to teach.
In 1947, he took a position at Bowdoin College in Brunswick as the Assistant Director of Admissions and became the Director of Admissions in 1949. He served in that position until 1967 when he retired from Bowdoin. In 1964, Shaw was awarded the Alumni Award for Faculty and Staff, an award that recognized a faculty or staff member who demonstrated a loyalty and devotion to Bowdoin, not only in the fulfillment of his or her position at the college, but through active involvement in a broad number of activities and with a broad number of constituencies during his or her time at Bowdoin.
In August of 1967, he accepted a position as the Chief of Policy and Regulations for Federal Student Aid Programs in the Department of Education and later served in the Bureau of Student Financial Aid in the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. until his retirement in January of 1982. He was awarded the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators ‘Distinguished Service Award’ in 1982. It is one of the highest awards that NASFAA bestows. The recipient must attain outstanding achievements in the furtherance of NASFAA goals; and significant contributions over a sustained period of time.
Hubert S. “Billy” Shaw married Eleanor French of Somerville, Massachusetts June 23rd, 1939. Shaw died July 13, 1985.
Thank you to Bowdoin College, St. Albans School in Washington D.C., the University of Maine Presque Isle Library and Hubert S. Shaw Jr. If you wish to make comments regarding the article, contact me at 207-764-1217 or e-mail at Jcarter001@maine.rr.com.
Contributed photo
HUBERT S. “BILLY” SHAW, a 1932 graduate of Presque Isle High School, is shown taking a swing while playing for St. Albans in the semi-pro Northern League in 1937. Shaw was also a participant in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
