Alumni Spotlight
Richard Long ’52: Noted California Attorney Establishes Scholarship to Honor Legendary English High Coach Bill Stewart
Who would have imagined that one day Richard Long from South Boston would successfully present a case before the Supreme Court of the State of California?
Richard Long ’52, celebrates a legal victory.
Richard Long, Esq. ’52, did that and a lot more during his long, distinguished career as a lawyer. Now, 72 years after his graduation, Long has established a scholarship to a college-bound English High student-athlete in memory and in honor of legendary Coach Bill Stewart, Jr. ’37, who had such a profound influence on thousands of students during his 50-year high school coaching career.
Long says, “I’m happy to make this gift, a sort of giving back to English High, and a gesture of thanks to Coach Bill Stewart. It brings back memories. And but for Coach Bill, where would I be?” He offers advice to today’s students, paraphrasing the classic lyrics from Man of La Mancha: “Nothing is impossible. Dream the impossible dream. Reach for the impossible star. That is the quest.”
Richard Long ’52 established his scholarship in the memory of legendary English High Coach Bill Stewart. Coach Stewart himself is an English High School Alumnus from the Class of 1937
At English, Long played football and ran track. He was starting right end in 1950 and 1951. He recalls, “In 1950, we won the Boston Football Championship. Coach Bill hosted the team for dinner at Steuben’s Restaurant in downtown Boston which also had entertainment — a torch singer sang Moon over Miami. I still hum it today. My first uptown restaurant club.”
Beside Coach Stewart, Long attributes some of his success to U. S. Army Major Driscoll, assigned to English High in 1950-1952, who “took me aside and advised me to square away some rough edges.”
Upon graduation, with Coach Stewart’s help and influence, Long attended Lawrence Academy – also Stewart’s alma mater — then attended The College of The Holy Cross. After that, he was commissioned an Officer in the U. S. Marine Corps as he had spent college summers in officer training at Quantico, Virginia. He was placed on active duty and assigned to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California, and overseas, achieving the rank of Captain.
Upon release to inactive duty, Long attended and graduated from Boston University School of Law. He passed the California Bar Exam and began a career as a trial lawyer. Long smiles as he gives advice to students contemplating a career in law: “It was Oliver Wendell Holmes who said, ‘The Law is a jealous mistress.’ Very true. Time, time, time is mandatory in the study. No distractions.”
