Bio

Inducted 2022

basketball

Roger Birdsall remembers the excitement leading up to one of his shots against Fullerton College as a forward for the Chaffey College basketball team.  It was one of his highest-scoring games that season, and after dodging an opponent near the free-throw line, he went for it.  “I dribbled the ball and made a one-handed push shot,” Birdsall said. “It felt really good.”

Soon after that magical game in 1943, the Navy came calling and he left college to serve during World War II. But the impact he made at Chaffey was unmistakable. The college had to cease the basketball program temporarily because of the void Birdsall left behind.

Birdsall has made a major impact on the world around him through much of his life.  After his military service, he earned an agriculture degree from Cal Poly Pomona and then worked to protect the agriculture industry in the largest county in America. He worked for the San Bernardino County Department of Agriculture for 39 years, ending as agricultural commissioner.

Birdsall helped launch Rialto’s Little League program in 1952, serving the organization for 58 years including 45 as administrator. Birdsall also sat on the Recreation, Parks and Social Services Commission for 19 years in Rialto.  The city inducted him into the Rialto Hall of Fame in 2009 for his dedication to his community.  The park across the street from Carter High School bears his name, another testament to his dedication to the community.

Birdsdall credits Chaffey College with giving him the foundation he needed to be successful in life.  “Chaffey helped me get along with people,” he said. “It helped me focus on what I wanted to do with my life.”

Birdsall died at home on June 9, 2020. He was 94.