College of San Mateo alum and Hall of Fame track official Jim Hume passes away; Memorial online on Friday
August 21, 2020
SAN MATEO - Peninsula area track and field fixture James “Jim” Hume passed away earlier this summer (June 26) at age 81, following a series of illnesses in recent years.
A local outdoor memorial is planned for 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, and will be streamed and posted on the USA Track & Field National Officials Facebook page,
He coached on the Peninsula throughout much of the 20th century, including at Hillsdale High, and was very involved nationally and internationally in track and field, beginning as a track official in 1968 and serving until his death. He was a 2019 inductee to the Hall of Fame of USA Track & Field’s Pacific Association, of which he was a past president
Hume was a regular fixture in the press boxes at both College of San Mateo's College Heights Stadium and at the Crystal Springs course, serving as a head official and coordinating computer entry of meet results, including at several state and regional championships on all levels; also at major Stanford Invitational meets.
He was a student government member during his college days at CSM in the mid-1960’s, so had a lifelong affiliation with the local community college. He is also a San Francisco State University graduate, where he received a teaching credential.
Hume and his identical twin, Gray Hume, were born in Baltimore, Md., where he spent most of his childhood, along with a young sister and brother.
Following his high school graduation in 1957 from Augusta Military Academy in Virginia, Hume served in the Coast Guard, from 1959-63, before moving to the Bay Area and enrolling at CSM.
He was a classroom teacher at San Francisco’s Benjamin Franklin Middle School for 17 years, serving as head of the reading lab and program director, while also assisting in coaching with the Millbrae Lions Track Club (beginning in 1967) – which produced many top USA female athletes.
They included 1988 Olympian Leslie Maxie, who set national high school records in the 300 and 400 meter hurdles at Mills High that lasted into this century. She was the 1984 national high school athlete of the year. Hume was an official at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, so was able to see Maxie compete. He also officiated at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
In 15 years at Hillsdale High, Hume taught English and computer programming while coaching cross country and track and field. In 1997 he was recognized as a California Interscholastic Federation-Central Coast Section Track & Field Honor Coach.
He worked with now retired CSM cross country coach Bob Rush in administering the Crystal Springs course from the early 1990’s until this year.
Hume served as women’s track & field travel coordinator for 13 of the 14 U.S. Olympic Sports Festivals. In 1983 he was selected as head manager of the USA Women’s Junior Team for meets with Canada and Italy in New Britain, Conn., and Sheerbrook, Quebec, Canada. He served as head manager for the USA women’s team in 1995 for a dual meet vs. Great Britain in Newcastle, England.
Hume was a master level official who served the Pacific Association (Northern California and Northern Nevada) as youth chair from the mid-1970’s to the mid-1980’s, as president of the Board of Athletics from 1982-85, and as association certification chair for officials into this decade.
He earned an official “advanced competition secretary” degree while at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and has used those skills to pioneer recording and displaying field event results during meets. He headed the FieldLynx crew in that capacity at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Hume also used his computer skills to edit and produce Turns & Distances, a newsletter for officials in the association.
(Fred Baer, College of San Mateo Athletics)