John olguin biography

I’ve mentioned John Olguin’s name in multiple South Bay History blog posts over the years, so it’s about time to take an in-depth look at this San Pedro legend.

John Main Olguin was born in San Pedro on Feb.

18, 1921. His father, Roy, had moved from Mexico to work in the port area, where he met Olguin’s mother, Josie Main, a Long Beach woman who worked in the Terminal Island fishing industry. The family had very little money, so Olguin took odd jobs shining shoes and selling newspapers.

As a young man, Olguin went through the San Pedro public schools, attending Cabrillo Elementary, Dana Middle School and San Pedro High School.

John olguin san pedro

He was an accomplished swimmer and became an active member of the San Pedro Swim Club while in middle school. (He would later be nicknamed “the human fish” for his love of ocean swimming.)

He worked as a junior lifeguard at Cabrillo Beach during the summers.

He heard about lifeguard Bob Foster’s collection of sea