JOHN CLAWSON
Class of 1962Alumni Recognition Award, 2000
John Clawson takes his place on the alumni wall as one of the greatest athletes ever to grace these halls. John was an accomplished student-athlete during his years at Naperville High School. A member of the National Honor Society as a student, John was also voted vice-president of the student council during his senior year. Mr. Clawson was the quarterback of the Redskin football team as well as a four-year member of the track team. He was also an all-state basketball player.
Following an outstanding athletic career at Naperville High School, John Clawson continued his career as a student-athlete at the University of Michigan. During his tenure as a member of the Wolverine basketball team, Michigan won three Big Ten titles. Clawson played alongside the great Cazzie Russell and Bill Buntin. While at Michigan, John played in two “final fours” in NCAA tournament play.
John Clawson continued his basketball career after finishing at Michigan. He was a member of the Pan American team that won a gold medal in 1967. In 1968, John Clawson won an Olympic Gold Medal in the Mexico City Olympic Games. It didn’t end there. For good measure, Mr. Clawson won a championship as a member of the American Basketball Associations’ Oakland Oaks franchise in 1969. With the Oaks, Clawson played with basketball Hall of Famer, Rick Barry.
Mr. Clawson worked for Merrill Lynch for two years after his basketball career ended. He then taught high school four years in Danville, California. He soon left education to develop his own, Clawson Construction, Inc. Today, his company has 20 employees and completes eight custom homes a year in the San Francisco Bay area.
Clawson married Susan Bawden (NCHS ’63) in 1968. Mrs. Clawson is a career teacher. They have lived in the San Francisco areas since 1974. Their son, Matt, owns and operates Xtreme Juice, a growing chain of juice and smoothie bars in Florida. Daughter Katie is teaching and lives on a small ranch with her husband, in Wyoming.
MR. CLAWSON’S MESSAGE FOR NCHS STUDENTS: Patiently explore your world to discover your own personal passion in life. Allow it to expand or even change. But pursue it with compete dedication.
