Five Famous Geneva Alumni - Geneva College
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Five Famous Geneva Alumni

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What if I told you that Isaac Newton went to Geneva? That would be amazing and probably would warrant flaunting privileges when telling people where you attend college. Before you get too excited about sharing the same college with one of the most well-known scientists, I’m going to have to burst your bubble. Isaac Newton did not attend Geneva College…but he did visit Geneva, Switzerland. Now, that was a bit tricky but don’t be too mad because the point of this blog is to mention REAL famous Geneva College attendees. You may not recognize some of their names, but what they accomplished in their lives is interesting and noteworthy.

Norman Clyde

Mountain climber, sharpshooter, and Geneva alum, Norman Clyde was born April 8, 1885 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over the span of his life he climbed Mt. Whitney over 50 times and made the first accent to the tops of at least 126 peaks. He was given the privilege of having a mountain named after him, Norman Clyde Peak. Whether locating crashed airplanes, rescuing missing people, or improving his mental map of the land, Norman Clyde was a truly intelligent, unique, and remarkable man. If you would like to learn more about his history visit: https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/historyculture/clyde.htm

Cal Hubbard

Born on October 31, 1900, Cal Hubbard was a 6’4”, 250 pound football player in the early 1900s. He could play both offense and defense. During his time of attendance at Geneva College in 1926, he was a part of the football team and helped beat Harvard in a game 16-7. In 1927, Hubbard signed to play for the New York Giants and later played for the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Pirates (later renamed the Steelers). From 1941 to 1942, Hubbard even returned to Geneva to coach the school’s team. Later in his life he umpired for baseball starting with the minor leagues and then the major leagues in the American League. He umpired in the World Series. Cal Hubbard was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame - the only player to be elected to both of these halls of fame. He was also recently named to the NFL's 100th Anniversary Season Top 100 Players of All-time. To learn more go to https://shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/h/hubbard/

Joe Beggs

On November 4, 1910, Joseph Stanley Beggs was born. He attended Geneva College and became a star at throwing the javelin, one of the few at the time who could launch it over 200 feet. Although this was the sport for which he was best known, baseball ended up being his occupation. In 1934, Beggs began his professional baseball career and worked his way up until he reached the same playing field with the Yankees in 1938. He also won a National League Pennant and a World Series with the Reds. Besides baseball, Joe Beggs spoke several languages. He was also considered to be one of baseball’s intellectuals. More information on Beggs can be found at https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/7a1efa1f

William Fitzsimmons

A singer/songwriter from Geneva? Yes, it’s true. William Fitzsimmons has been a rising artist since 2008 when his songs were featured on a television show Grey’s Anatomy. Since then his work has also been on other television series as well, such as General Hospital, Life of Ryan, and Army Wives. Currently Fitzsimmons’ songs are available on YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music and more. If you would like to see more about this artist or would like to see him on tour go to https://www.allmusic.com/artist/william-fitzsimmons-mn0001055998/biography

Josie Badger

Josie Badger has a rare, incurable condition called congenital myasthenia gravis syndrome. This causes her muscles to get very fatigued quickly, thus making it more difficult to use them. Although she has this challenging condition, she has gone above and beyond in her personal achievements. At the age of 12 Josie Badger co-founded Paw Prints, a dog training service for people with disabilities. Later in life she became President of the National Youth Leadership Network. She received her bachelor’s degree in disability law and advocacy from Geneva College, her master’s in rehabilitation counseling from University of Pittsburgh and her doctorate in healthcare ethics from Duquesne University. Josie Badger was also crowned Ms. Wheelchair America in 2012. For more information about Josie Badger go to https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/library/documents/students/2018/Josie%20Badger%20-%20bio.pdf

 

-Abigail Forton ‘22

Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.

Feb 13, 2020

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