Edgar Pomeroy is recognized as one of the most enthusiastic devotees to sport that has ever walked the halls of the Olympic Club. He epitomized the Olympic Club’s goal of fostering amateur athletics. Edgar was born in England in 1869 and arrived in Sacramento in 1888 and settled in the Bay Area in 1892. Edgar became known as the father of rugby and soccer in the Bay Area for his diligent work to promote these two sports.
In 1908, Pomeroy joined the Olympic Club. That year, at age 38, he played left wing on the Club’s championship rugby team. Edgar’s attention then turned to soccer. In 1914 he recruited enough Olympic Club members to form the Club’s first soccer team. Pomeroy served as soccer Commissioner from 1914 to 1925. During that period, Pomeroy’s teams won league titles in 1916 and 1923 and state championships in 1920 and 1921.Edgar was instrumental in having John Young named permanent soccer coach. Young’s teams went on to win 4 state titles for the Club.
In 1955, Edgar was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. John Young followed in 1958.
Edgar’s contributions to the development of rugby in the Bay Area were significant. He lobbied successfully to have rugby replace football at the collegiate level. Some may recall that rugby instead of football was played in the Big Game between Stanford and Cal from 1906-1914.
In 1920, Pomeroy helped organize the US rugby team that beat France for the gold metal at the Olympic Games in Antwerp .Most of the players came from the California Rugby Union Numerous Olympic Club members were selected to the US squad.. In 1924, the US rugby team returned to the Olympic Games in Paris. The Americans again brought home the gold defeating the French in a hostile environment. The Olympic Club played an important role in the formation of that team and in raising the financial resources to send US squad to Paris.
In 1933, rugby was reinstated as an Olympic Club sport. Pomeroy was named rugby Commissioner and remained in that capacity until 1955. In 1950, the Olympic Club honored Pomeroy with a testimonial dinner. Players dating as far back as 1908, when rugby was started at the Club, expressed their personal thanks to this fine gentleman. He was further honored with the Edgar Pomeroy perpetual trophy awarded the Club’s rugby Player of The Year and the Pomeroy Cup to the winners of Northern California Rugby Union league championship.
In addition soccer and rugby contributions, Edgar Pomeroy was an accomplished author and poet. Many of his works appeared in The Olympian magazine. Also noteworthy, he helped found The Club’s first literary society and speaker’s bureau that included the likes of Frank Norris, Eugene O’Neil, and William Soyorian.
In 1955, Edgar Pomeroy passed away at age 88. He was a 47 year member of The Olympic Club.
