Linfield Football is family. For, example, there’s the Jacrouxs.
Harold Jacroux (arrow points to him in Linfield Oak Leaves photo above) played for Linfield in the 1936 and
1937 seasons for Coach Henry Lever. His
nephew, Ken Jacroux played football
in the 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967 seasons for Coach Paul Durham.
Harold and Ken (wearing football uniform #25 in photo below from Linfield Review) were
born in Goldendale (Klickitat Co.), Wash. Ken grew up across the Columbia
River from Goldendale in The Dalles (Wasco Co.), Ore.
Click on photos above for larger, easier to see, versions.
Ken said his Uncle Harold (1919-1997), was “a dear man. He was stocky and had speed and quickness, a tough bundle of energy. He reminded me of Rogers Ishizu, one of my Linfield football teammates.”
Harold’s college
and Linfield football career ended before he earned a degree. After leaving
college when called to military service (U.S. Marine Corps), he returned home
after the service and assisted in the family lumber mill in Cedar Valley
(Klickitat Co., Wash.)
Ken’s parents, Gus and Nellie, traveled from The Dalles and attended almost all of Ken’s games, home and away,
including when Ken was starting in the 1966 and 1967 seasons. Harold saw Ken
play in several games on Linfield’s Maxwell Field. “Harold was quite proud of
the fact I was at Linfield and enjoyed coming back to campus to see me play
where he played,” said Ken.
Ken and his
brother, Mike, graduated from The
Dalles High School in 1964 and 1966 respectively. At TDHS both played football,
basketball and baseball. Ken graduated from Linfield in 1968 and Mike from
Portland's Lewis & Clark College in 1970.
For the Linfield
Wildcats, Ken was a football defensive back and a baseball outfielder and
catcher. Mike, playing for the L&C Pioneers (1966-1970), was a football
offensive guard as a freshman and offensive tackle other seasons. He also
played baseball.
The only time
(football or baseball) the Brothers Jacroux played each other was football. In
Portland, L&C beat Linfield, 22-7, for the Wildcats only loss of the 1967
season.
As Ken headed
toward graduation from TDHS, he chose between Oregon State University and Linfield
for college “A small school was as my preference. I wanted to play sports and
couldn't likely do that as a Beaver. Combine that with a great education, small
classes, and a personal experience with many teachers,” he said.
“It was perfect. I
was active in Theta Chi fraternity at Linfield and lived in the Theta house for
two years and was the fraternity’s president for a year. Linfield was a most
wonderful experience - the perfect place to ‘grow up’ and become a full-fledged
adult. I had to study to get decent grades, so it required discipline to
balance homework and sports. A work ethic was required. I learned it all there
in those four years!”
After graduating
from Linfield, Ken, trained at the Naval Aviation School in Pensacola, Fla.,
and became a U.S. Navy aviator.
His eight-plus
years (1968-1976) of Naval service included a Vietnam tour. In the remaining
time, he was based out of NAS North Island, San Diego. Flying Anti-Submarine
Warfare in S-3A Viking aircraft - a twin fan-jet, carrier based, aircraft with
a crew of four -- he flew missions in Pacific and Mediterranean theaters and he
accumulated hundreds of carrier landings.
After active duty
he immediately joined the Naval Reserve and served 18 years (through 1994).
When he retired as a captain, (O-6), he had command of two units at NAS Oak
Harbor, Wash.
Following the Navy,
Ken flew for Continental Airlines for seven years as a second and first officer
based in Denver. After that he was with Lockheed Martin as a systems engineer
supporting upgrades to the National Airspace System in the construction of
airport traffic control towers for the Federal Aviation Administration. From
1976-1999, he was involved in construction of towers in Oregon (Portland,
Klamath Falls and Redmond), Washington (Moses Lake) and Utah (Salt Lake City).
In 1999 Ken and his
wife, Becky, bought a vineyard
property and opened BeckenRidge Vineyard Event Center in the hills of Oregon’s
Polk County. The center, in Dallas, Ore., has a spectacular view of the Willamette Valley and is
the site of private receptions, weddings and meetings.
Mike Jacroux – who
has a MS degree from Eastern Washington University and Ph.D. from Oregon State
University -- and his wife, Marcia,
live in Pullman, Wash. There, he is a long-time Washington State University
faculty member and a former Statistics Department chair.
PHOTOS
--Arrow points to
Harold in a photo from a Linfield Oak
Leaves yearbook.
--Ken and Mike
Jacroux in photos which ran in the Nov. 2, 1967, Linfield Review student newspaper, before the Linfield at Lewis
& Clark football game.
POSTSCRIPT
--Harold Jacroux
had fingers bad luck. As a teenager, he lost part of a finger from a saw blade
in the Jacroux family lumber mill in Cedar Valley (Klickitat County, Wash.). As
a Linfield student, working in the college commons, Harold lost part of a
finger in a meat grinder.
--Oct. 16, 1937,
Klamath Falls, Ore., Evening Herald
At McMinnville,
Ore., Linfield college freshmen punted their way to a 12 to 0 victory over
Ellensburg Normal. Harold Jacroux, Goldendale. Wash., playing his first college
game, returned an Ellensburg punt 89 yards on the kickoff. Schemer took the
ball on the first line play for 22 yards and a touchdown. An intercepted pass
paved the way for another score in the fourth quarter.
--Oct 20, 1938,
Goldendale, Wash., Sentinel
Harold Jacroux,
student at Linfield college, was in Goldendale last weekend visiting his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Jacroux. Harold is a starting regular in the
Linfield college football team but last week was out because of an injured leg.
While in Goldendale Jacroux made tentative arrangements for housing the
Linfield team in Goldendale this weekend while it is en route to Ellensburg for
a game with the Central College of Education eleven.
--Oct. 27, 1938,
Goldendale, Wash., Sentinel
Mr. and Mrs. G.A.
Jacroux and sons, Alfred and Junior, were in Ellensburg last Saturday where
they attended the football game between Linfield college and Central College of
Education. Harold Jacroux is a member of Linfield football squad.
--Nov. 3, 1938,
Goldendale, Wash., Sentinel
Harold Jacroux, son
of Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Jacroux, lost the end of one of his fingers early this
week in a meat grinder while working in the college commons at Linfield. Jacroux
is a football star at the McMinnville college. It is believed he will be out
for the remainder of the season as a result of his injury.
--Dec. 15, 1938,
Goldendale, Wash., Sentinel
Jacroux Wins Letter
Linfield College,
McMinnville, Oregon, December 12 – Because of his outstanding performance
during the past football season, Harold Jacroux, son of Mr. and Mrs. G. A.
Jacroux of Goldendale, has been awarded at letter in that sport. Despite having
lost a part of one of his fingers in mid-season, Harold had played enough
quarters at quarterback to warrant his cardinal L.
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Go to this Goldendale (Washington) Sentinel newspaper posting to see Jacroux-related story from Aug. 24, 2016
