May 26, 2000
STANFORD, Calif. - One of the all-time great football players in Stanford University history, Gary Kerkorian, died on May 22 at his home in Fresno, California due to complications from lung cancer. He was 70 years old.
Kerkorian, who led Stanford to the 1952 Rose Bowl, is survived by his wife, Joyce, their six children (Dara, John, Paul, Michael, Anna and Christa) and five grandchildren.
Kerkorian was a three-year starter at quarterback for the then-Indians from 1949-51. He graduated from Stanford with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1952. By the time his playing career was over, he had re-written the Stanford record book and owned every school passing record.
In 1951, Kerkorian was named First-Team All-America after leading the Indians to a 9-1 record, a Pac-8 championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl.
Following his playing days at Stanford, Kerkorian played professional football for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1953 and the Baltimore Colts from '54-58. During this time, he also earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1957.
Kerkorian enjoyed a long career in private practice as a lawyer, first in southern California then in Fresno, where he moved in 1971. He was named a Fresno County Superior Court Judge in 1990 before retiring in January, 2000.