JUNE 11, 1926

TLINGIT ATHLETE JUNKHATEEN (HERB DIDRICKSON) BORN—JIM THORPE OF ALASKA

Sitka, Alaska, Herb’s Tlingit name meant “Quick Hands.” A great all-around athlete, Didrickson, who outran, out passed, outshot, and even outjumped opponents almost a foot taller, was considered the “Jim Thorpe of Alaska.” At 5’10”, Herb could dunk a basketball from a standing position. Didrickson played basketball and baseball, as well as running track and field and cross country while attending Sheldon Jackson High School and Sheldon Jackson Junior College in Sitka in the 1940s. The Seattle Rainiers wanted him to play minor league baseball, but he chose to remain in Sitka with his wife, friends, and neighbors. Herb worked for 30 years as an industrial arts instructor for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He also coached, refereed, and mentored. A member of the Juneau Lions Gold Medal, Alaska High School, and Alaska Sports Halls of Fame, he also received honors from the Sitka Alaska Native Brotherhood. Didrickson died in Sitka on September 25, 2017.

Sources:

Mike Sica, “The Ultimate Good Guy,” Alaska Sports Hall of Fame.  Retrieved 3/1/2023, Herb Didrickson - Alaska Sports Hall Of Fame.

“Herb Didrickson,” Alaska High School Hall of Fame.  Retrieved 3/4/2023, Herb Didrickson – Alaska High School Hall of Fame (alaskahalloffame.org)

Robert Woolsey, “Herb Didrickson 1926-2017: Alaska’s ‘Jim Thorpe’ put family before fame,” Alaska Public Media, 10/9/2017.   Retrieved 3/4/2023, Herb Didrickson 1926-2017: Alaska’s ‘Jim Thorpe’ put family before fame - Alaska Public Media

Photo:  Courtesy of Alaska State Library, Collection, Image ID No. ASL-PO1-0174.  Gold Medal championship ANB basketball team, 1956. Source: Gold Medal championship ANB basketball team, 1956. - Alaska State Library-Historical Collections - Alaska's Digital Archives  [Cropped]