Jim Mullaney
1961 was a good year for the future of Medford’s athletic spectrum. It was that year that Jim Mullaney, newly assigned to the Medford area by the Department of Justice, became a charter member of the Medford Linebackers.
Reflective of his own athletic background, the Linebackers became the special arena for Jim’s special talents for rallying special people around special causes.
In 1945 and 1946, Jim was named to the Pittsburgh All-Catholic Football eleven. In 1946, Jim received the highest award when he was named by the Optimist Club as the Pittsburgh Player of The Year.
Following graduation from high school, Jim attended the University of Notre Dame and then earned another graduate degree from the New York University Graduate School of Business and Management.
From 1961 to the present day, Jim has been very actively involved in every single Linebacker project, beginning with the original Linebacker endeavor, a new stadium for Medford High. Major projects of Jim’s aggressive involvement include Tornado Turf, new track surfaces at both North and South High Schools, improved lighting for Spiegelberg field, season ticket sales to fund reserve seating at Medford Senior High School Basketball Court and all Linebacker Scholarship activities and special Linebacker club sports activities.
Jim served as Linebacker Program Director in 1974 and again in 1979. He is credited with bringing the best program in club history. He served as president of the Medford Linebackers in 1975 and again in 1980. From 1987 to 1989, Jim served as president of the Southern Oregon State College Foundation. In 1988, he was the recipient of the President’s Medal Award from Southern Oregon State College. Jim is the immediate past president of the Medford Rotary Club and presently is the President and CEO of Rogue Valley Physicians’ Service and Health Masters of Oregon, Inc.
Always at his side has been his wife, Peggy, and children Jim, Rob, Mark, John and Shannon, who he proudly admits all attended Medford Schools.
A one-time mayor of Medford recently said of Jim Mullaney, “He represents the true spirit of community support, and he has been a driving force in all of the really great things achieved by the people of Southern Oregon.”