Remembering Billy Barty

* I would like to add my testimonial to the fact that Billy Barty (Obituaries, Dec. 24, and Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29) did indeed play college football--and not on just a pickup team, but on the college’s regular varsity team, winning him a letterman’s sweater, which he wore proudly on campus.

I attended Los Angeles City College after World War II, from 1947 to 1950. I was features editor of the college newspaper, The Collegian, right after Billy had been advertising manager, and I eventually became Associated Students vice president. I personally saw him play in a regularly scheduled game with another college. Not only did he play on the college team, but they actually devised a special play just for him. They would give him the football and then pick him up and throw him over the line of scrimmage to the stunned amazement of the other team.

I think Billy also made a letter in basketball. I once watched him play. He could run like hell and was even able to make very accurate long deadeye shots into the basket. A good part of the time, when I would see him on campus, he had a beautiful full-sized girl on each arm.

The last time I saw Billy was at a recent reunion luncheon of the now-defunct L.A. City College journalism fraternity, Gamma Delta Upsilon, at which he talked briefly about his football-playing days. We will all miss him very much.

ARNIE GORDON

Woodland Hills