I am reminded by an upcoming high school sports event that many of Queen Anne High School’s graduates continued on with their successive careers in the sports which brought them early acclaim.

Bill Quillian ’51 in tennis, for example. His skills led Queen Anne to an unmatched string of 30 consecutive victories in that sport, a record which still stands. He went on to play and coach at the UW, competing at Wimbledon and in the Davis Cup in 1958. He died prematurely of Leukemia in 1973.

Bob Galer ’31, World War II air ace and Medal of Honor recipient played basketball successfully at Queen Anne and later at the University of Washington, setting scoring records at that time (mid-1930s) before being seduced by the airplane. 

Bob Houbregs, 1949 alum, went on to establish records in scoring and took the University of Washington to its (so far) only turn in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in 1953. He went on to play with the NBA before retiring from basketball. In football, Galer also played on the city champion 1930 team, that which began the season under the name KUAY and ended under the mascot “Grizzly.” 

Two years earlier another member of the KUAY squad played on the team with Galer John Cherberg ’29. Cherberg went on through the University of Washington and became a football coach at Cleveland, taking them to their first city championship in football (1937) before transferring to his Alma Mater, Queen Anne, where he coached from 1938 through 1945, leading Queen Anne to city championships in 1942 and 1945, leaving a record of 33 wins, 20 losses and 6 ties. He went from there to UW where he built an enviable record as frosh coach, but had a losing record as varsity coach. He left in 1956 after exposing a series of scandals involving UW alums and “friends” from the local community, whose “gifts” to many of the players was against proper practice and laws. He ran successfully for Lieutenant Governor and continued in that office for the better part of 25 years. The Senate Office building in Olympia is named for him. Sort of a little bit of Queen Anne in Olympia. 

Tennis Courts at UW also were named, in honor of Bill Quillian. If Bobby Galer left a named place, it would most likely be in Texas where he spent the last 40+ years of his life. I don't believe Bob Houbregs left a building with his name, but he was inducted into the NCAA and NBA Basketball Halls of Fame, so he is listed annually in the World Almanac. His NCAA induction was in 1985, and I won one of the signed basketballs (I think there was a ball for each year played in the NBA. I had the pleasure of talking with all four of these sportsmen. 

John's brother, Jim Cherberg, operated Cherberg's Bar and Grill, originally located in the Orpheum Theater building, later on Fifth Avenue between Union and University Streets. It was known as the "unofficial" headquarters of the local unit of the Democratic Party, They also made an awesome bread pudding. I used to have dinner there when I worked the night shift at the Downtown Library. All four of the above-mentioned stars are gone now, but all 4 are in UW Hall of Fame and their records speak for themselves.

Reprinted courtesy of the Queen Anne Historical Society

https://www.uwtyeeclub.com/big-w-club/the-husky-hall-of-fame/inductees-by-sport/