Lou Spadia, a San Francisco native, devoted his life to athletics. He played baseball at Jackson playground in the Potrero District and Mission High. Following Navy duty in WWII, he went to the original Forty-Niners in 1946 as an office boy and rose to its president by 1967. After the sale of the 49ers in 1977, he realized his dream of starting a community hall of fame and youth fund, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. By 1999, on the 20th anniversary under Lou’s presidency, BASHOF had provided much-needed athletic equipment to thousands of area kids and inducted 92 sports legends.

Inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

Plaque location: Mission High School