Larry Lawson was born and raised in Polk Gulch and in North Beach in San Francisco. He attended St. Brigid's Grammar School, St. Ignatius High School, and the University of San Francisco. He cherished his education, and maintained lifelong relationships with fellow track and football athletes. He ran track against Ollie Matson and played football with the future legendary 1951 USF Dons Football Team. He played four sports at USF: track, basketball, football and soccer.Â
As a child, he played baseball on the asphalt court with childhood friends at Helen Wills playground, and in Marin with his Portuguese relatives. Following USF, he joined the San Francisco Police Department for 11 years, taught and coached at City College of San Francisco for 32 years. He also mentored young men and women who would go on to have successful careers in the SFPD (SFChronicle).
