June 1, 1987, Dodger Stadium, (L-R): David Osinski, Executive Director, IBA; Rod Dedeaux, legendary USC Head Baseball Coach; Miguel Ortin, President, Royal Spanish Baseball Federation; Dr. Bill Arce, longtime Head Baseball Coach, Claremont Men’s College; and Dodger President Peter O’Malley. Photo by Jon SooHoo.
Biography
Dr. Bill Arce
Dr. Bill Arce was the former Claremont (CA.) Men’s College head baseball coach and athletic director from 1958-1979 and a longtime advocate of international baseball. Besides his job at Claremont, he devoted his life to developing baseball internationally, making friendships and frequently traveling to Europe and Asia to give baseball clinics and instruction to coaches. A pioneer in the field, Dr. Arce was the first U.S. baseball coach to travel to the People’s Republic of China from mid-January to mid-March, 1980. He introduced Peter O’Malley to those baseball friends in China. In a January 16, 1980 letter, O’Malley wrote to Dr. Arce, “I would like to visit China some day. If you happen to meet someone there who would be in a position to facilitate this, I would be very grateful.” That initial trip occurred from February 14-16, 1980 when O’Malley visited Beijing and met with leaders from the All-China Sports Federation.
January 16, 1980, Dodger President Peter O’Malley writes Head Baseball Coach Bill Arce of Claremont Men’s College and an international baseball pioneer to help provide contacts for sports officials in the People’s Republic of China. This letter begins a friendly relationship O’Malley develops with sports and government officials, leading to his privately building the first regulation baseball field in China in 1986.
By July, five high-ranking officials of All-China Sports Federation were invited by O’Malley to visit Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles during a homestand, including three China National team coaches. Helping to host the group during their stay was Dr. Arce. He also made baseball instructional trips to Sweden in 1962, Czechoslovakia in 1969, and Yugoslavia in 1979. In the 1970s, Dr. Arce coached the national baseball teams of the Netherlands and Italy to the European Baseball Championships. In 1976, Dr. Arce was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame.