Hall of Fame
USF Career Years: 1947-1951
Birthdate: December 31, 1928
Hometown: San Francisco
High School: Galileo High School
Richard Louis Baptista was born on December 31, 1928 in San Francisco. He attended Galileo High School, and played soccer for them. He played soccer for the USF Dons, and was a member of the team that won the 1949 NCISC Championship against Penn State in St. Louis. His teammates were fellow Hall of Fame colleagues: Angelo Carmassi, Robert Lee, Steve Negoesco, Olifumni Osibogun, Benigno Toda, and Gus Donaghue.
After graduation in 1951, he earned an advanced degree in Education in 1971. He taught and coached at Horace Mann and at Everett Middle School for 30 years. He worked for the San Francisco Recreation Department and was director of Silver Tree Day Camp. He was inducted into the Galileo Hall of Fame and the USF Hall of Fame in 1974.
Baptista was a member of the Marina Peretti Group, the Prep Hall of Fame, and was named the Walter Leonhardt Man of the Year by the Old Timers' Baseball Association of San Francisco. He was an honoree at the Dante Benedetti Annual Dinner. Baptista was a member of the Sons of Italy, the Druids and the Moose Lodge, and ran the Marina Friends and Athletics dinner for 24 years.
