Wally Palmberg - Basketball

Wally Palmberg helped put both Astoria and Oregon State on the athletic map as and athlete, then returned to Astoria to continue the athletic program’s success as both a coach and author.

Palmberg grew up in Astoria and was part of the high school’s first state championship team in 1930 under coach John Warren. He earned first-team all-tournament honors as a 5-foot-11 forward in 1931, when the Fishermen won the consolation trophy, then led the team to the ’32 title along with Bob Bergstrom.

At Oregon State, he helped the Beavers win the Pacific Coast Conference title as a junior, then averaged 11 points per game in 1936 and was named All-American after the team finished second in the PCC’s Northern Division.

Following graduation, Palmberg returned to Astoria and coached the basketball team to state titles in 1941 and ’42.

In 1993, Palmberg authored the book “Toward One Flag 1865-1943, a History of Lower Columbia Athletics.” He was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Oregon State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991.