His nominator calls Julian Barham the best and most successful tennis player ever to come out of Riverside. And he still lives here.
Barham was born in Ethiopia, where his English parents were serving as missionaries. The family came to Riverside when he was six months old, and he has lived here nearly his entire life. The Barhams lived in La Sierra until he was six, then moved to Canyon Crest. Barham attended Gage Middle School and Riverside Poly High School and later earned his teaching credential at UC Riverside. He and his wife were married at the St. Francis Chapel at the Mission Inn, and he is a longtime resident of Ward 1.
Much of his tennis life is tied to Riverside. At Poly, Barham won the league championship at No. 1 singles all four years, something he isn't aware of another Poly player having done. He lost only two matches on Poly's home courts in four years. In 1981, Poly won the CIF Southern Section 3-A championship, which he says is the only CIF boys tennis team title in school history. The final, played before a large crowd at Canyon Crest Country Club, remains one of his favorite Riverside tennis memories.
A Golf Course Poem
by Julian Barham
just above me are the tennis courts
where our poly boys team
had recently won the 3a c.i.f. title
in front of everyone
scott & ralph played the unlikely set of their lives
the cheering crowd lifted them into the stratosphere
propelling us to a 15–13 victory over favored palm springs
& for a moment we were the kings of riverside
After Poly, Barham spent four years playing Division I tennis at UC Irvine. As a senior, he and his doubles partner were NCAA Division I doubles runners-up and finished the year ranked fourth in the nation. He then played professionally for two and a half years, competing in the Australian Open doubles main draw and the qualifying event at Wimbledon. Along the way, he notched two wins over a young Pete Sampras, who went on to become one of the great champions in tennis history.
One of his most memorable matches came against the legendary Bobby Riggs, then 70 years old. They played a set for $200, with the odds heavily stacked in Riggs' favor. Riggs had the doubles alleys, Barham had only one serve, Riggs could take a point whenever he wanted, and he started the set with a 2-0 lead. Barham won 7-5.
"It was a great deal of fun, but what I remember most was how incredibly accurate Riggs still was," Barham said. "His strokes were like a laser. He could put the ball exactly where he wanted it."
Back home, Barham won the Riverside Open singles title 12 times, including 11 consecutive years, and the doubles title 17 times. The tournament was held on the old upper courts at Riverside City College, which he calls "a wonderful place to play and watch matches," with all eight courts visible from above on Terracina.
"Court One felt like my second home. Bring on all challengers," he said.
Those courts were eventually replaced by a parking structure, and the tennis courts moved to the other side of campus. In its day, the Riverside Open drew large fields and competitive players from throughout Southern California. Barham was also ranked No. 1 in Southern California men's doubles four times and earned high national rankings in several age divisions.
Barham is grateful to his parents for the time, encouragement and financial sacrifices that allowed him to play. He is especially grateful to his father, Mervyn "Merv" Barham, who coached him growing up. Father and son went on to play father/son tournaments all over the country well into Julian Barham's 40s.
Family doubles: Julian Barham and his father, Mervyn E. Barham, earned a No. 2 USTA national ranking in Super Senior Father-Son Doubles in 2008. Two years later, Barham and Darren Yates ranked No. 3 nationally in Men's 40 Team Doubles. | Courtesy Julian Barham
Tennis also gave Barham a way to give back locally. Although he spent his 33-year teaching career in San Bernardino, for many years he coached and taught tennis in Riverside, giving private and group lessons and conducting clinics. His name is included on the Riverside Sports Hall of Fame Wall of Distinction.
"What I'm proudest of isn't any single title, but having been part of Riverside tennis for so many years, first as a junior and high school player, later as a competitor, and eventually as an instructor," he said.
One of his favorite Riverside sports memories has nothing to do with tennis. In 1978, when Barham was a teenager, Muhammad Ali came to Riverside and spoke to students at Norte Vista High School. Ali was his hero, and Barham got to meet him and shake his hand.
Today, Barham attends some Riverside City Council meetings and picks up trash at Fairmount Park, not far from his home. "Being involved in Riverside and taking part in the community remains important to me," he said.
What does Riverside mean to you? Riverside is more than the place where I live. It is the geography of my memory. I can measure much of my life by what I was doing here: growing up, playing sports, competing, falling in love, getting married, making mistakes and growing older. The Riverside I carry with me is one decade laid over another. People and moments from the past are still very much a part of the city I see today.
I have always loved Riverside for its size and its location. It is large enough to have a life of its own, but not so large that you lose the feeling of community. And it is wonderfully situated, close enough to the mountains, the desert, the beaches, San Diego and Los Angeles to enjoy all that those places have to offer, while still having a climate and pace of life that feel comfortable and distinctly Riverside.
As a competitive tennis player, I spent years traveling to tournaments throughout Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. When I told people where I was from, they would often say, "Riverside?" I came to take that almost as a challenge. One of my small goals as a tennis player was to beat those people convincingly so that they would remember the name and location of Riverside!
What is your Mt. Rubidoux summit count (estimated)? A few hundred summits since 1993.
What is your favorite restaurant outside of Downtown or Magnolia Center? Anchos.
What is your favorite Riverside non-profit organization? The Rotary Club.
If you could put one message on a billboard on the 91, what would it be? Be here. Be kind. Have fun.
Finally, tell us what you're working on right now and how our readers can support your efforts, whether it's a project, passion, or cause close to your heart! I occasionally write poems and short stories drawn from my memories and experiences of Riverside, and I've also written a novella set here in 1985. I'd love to see a collection devoted to the Riverside remembered by people who have lived here for decades: poems, stories, fiction, memoirs and essays about life here in the 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s.
There must be hundreds of longtime Riverside residents carrying stories about neighborhoods, schools, businesses, families and everyday life that deserve to be preserved. Perhaps a local writers' group, working with the Riverside Historical Society or another community organization, could someday bring those voices together in a volume about the Riverside we remember.
Neighbor of the Week is our way of celebrating the hidden heroes of Riverside, those who go above and beyond to make our community stronger, kinder, and more vibrant. We believe every remarkable Riversider deserves their story told. Know someone who's making a difference? Nominate a Neighbor of the Week
