Multi-talented athlete Jack Scrivens (March 6, 1934 – April 22, 2021) grew up as a baseball and basketball player in Southeast Portland, but reached his greatest fame as one of the top handball and squash players in the nation.
Scrivens graduated from Franklin High in 1952, having played baseball and basketball at the school. He lettered four years in basketball and baseball and was named All-PIL and Franklin Athlete of the Year as a senior. Jack earned a basketball scholarship to Willamette University but later transferred to the University of Portland. He played three seasons for the Pilots and was voted the team’s most inspirational player for the 1956 and '57 seasons. At UP, he was asked to play for the Multnomah Athletic Club’s top team and soon had his membership fee waived because of his performance. As a member, he discovered handball and played his way to a national title in the 40-and-over four-wall singles division in 1975 and ’76.
Scrivens attained significant success in squash, as well, teaming with John Dennis to win the Pacific Coast Doubles Championship in 1972 and ’73. The team won again in 1978 in the 40-and-over division.
Scrivens earned his masters degree at UP and served as an assistant basketball coach. He began teaching at Reed College in 1960 and remained at the school for 38 years, including 37 as coach of the squash team. He helped launch a squash league in Portland in the late ‘60s. Scrivens coached the Reed College squash team to the Portland City League title in 1998, earning their own version of the name “Cardiac Kids” along the way due to their number of narrow wins.
Jack Scrivens retired from Reed in 1999, the school named the squash courts at its athletic complex after him, and a scholarship is named after him as well. He is also a member of the PIL Hall of Fame.