Who are “Lightning Ray” Lampkin, Jimmy Claxton, Richard Lee Washington, and Joe Lillard and what do they have to do with Oregon? Oregon Black Pioneers created a collection of sports trading cards as a creative way to highlight our local sports icons. Read all about them below! Who else should we add to our list? Tell us here!
“Lightning Ray” Lampkin
HT: 5’ 7” WT: 135 lbs ★ Lightweight
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Amateur: 1957-68 Pro: 1968-76; 34-6-1 (16 KOs)
Orthodox
Lampkin began training at Portland’s Knott Street Gym at age 10, and won five Golden Glove Tournaments before turning pro in 1968. “Lightning Ray” won his first 21 fights and earned the NABF lightweight title in 1974. His biggest fight was in Panama in 1975, where he fought lightweight champion Roberto Duran for the WBA title; Lampkin lost via 14th-round KO.
Jimmy Claxton
HT: 5’ 10” WT: 160 lbs ★ Pitcher
Hometown: Wellington, British Columbia
Independent: Portland Hubbard Giants (1914-16)
PCL: Oakland Oaks (1916)
Claxton was a pitcher for independent Black baseball clubs across the West Coast during the 1910s-20s. He was a star for Portland’s Lew Hubbard Giants for two years. In 1916, Claxton played in the segregated Pacific Coast League; pitching two games before it was discovered he was Black and he was fired. Claxton was the first Black player to appear on a baseball card, and the last Black player to play in integrated professional baseball until Jackie Robinson in 1947.
Richard Lee Washington
HT: 6’ 11” ★ Center
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
College: UCLA (1974-1976)
NBA: Kansas City Kings, Dallas Mavericks (1976 – 1982)
Richard Lee Washington led Portland’s Benson Technical High School to state basketball championships in 1971 and ‘73, then played for coach John Wooden for three seasons at UCLA (1974-76). They reached the Final Four all three years and won the 1975 NCAA Tournament, with Washington named the most outstanding player. He was drafted 3rd overall by the Kings in 1976 and played six seasons in the NBA, averaging 9 points and 6 rebounds per game.
Joe Lillard
HT: 6’ 0” WT: 180 lbs.
Halfback, Quarterback, Kick Returner
Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma
College: University of Oregon (1930-1931)
NFL: Chicago Cardinals (1933)
Joe Lillard was a multi-sport athlete recruited to play football at the University of Oregon by head coach Clarence Spears. Called “God’s colored gift to Oregon” by the Eugene Guard, Lillard led the Ducks to a 7-2 record in 1930. In 1931, the Pacific Coast Conference declared Lillard ineligible because he had played professional baseball in 1929. Lillard left UO to go pro and was the leading scorer for the Cardinals in 1933, but in 1934 the NFL prohibited Black players. Lillard was the last Black player in the NFL until 1946.