Tag Taggart

Steve Virgen

The Great Depression challenged the hearts of many in the 1930s,

including Claude “Tag” Taggart. After graduating from high school in

Indiana in 1928, college began to seem more of a dream than reality

because the Taggarts did not have money for education.

However, Taggart used his basketball skills and tireless work

ethic -- he worked two jobs -- and eventually graduated from Ball

State in 1937.

In 2003, Taggart is still conquering challenges ... every day. He

is 91 years old.

“I have a theory about living these many years,” said Taggart, who

has lived at the same home in Costa Mesa for the past 36 years, “For

my age, I’m very active and that’s due to the fact that I have a

habit of staying busy in all departments of my life: body, mind and

spirit. To me, that’s the key to maximizing the quality of life in

your older age. Keep busy, and, of course, eat good food and behave

yourself.”

These days, Taggart keeps busy with lawn bowling and also with

stretching exercises to stay sharp physically. For his mental

exercises, he reads and attacks crossword puzzles in the morning. He

is also active in his church and the Kiwanis Club.

In his heyday, when he was overcoming obstacles during the

Depression, he took advantage of his love for basketball.

“My eyes and bones don’t work like they used to,” Taggart said

while he sat in a recliner in his home. “But that’s OK.”

Basketball, as it was for many in Indiana, was important to

Taggart. It proved to be the key to education as well. After high

school, he played recreationally and met up with a Ball State coach,

who told him he could play his way through college. And, Taggart did.

He also worked two jobs -- at the Ball Brothers plant, where glass

and steel were manufactured, and, as a waiter, where he collected

tips to pay for his meals.

At Ball State, Taggart also competed on the track and field team,

in the high jump and discus.

Soon after college, he went into the Navy and then to World War

II. He was stationed in the Pacific theater, specializing in

communication. One of his stops while with the Navy was on the West

Coast and he became attracted to California.

Just before finishing his career as a real estate broker, he moved

to Costa Mesa. Taggart, who earned his undergraduate degree in

physical education, also taught and coached in Wolf Lake, Ind. He

also worked as a salesman for MCI.

Taggart was 65 when he retired. An avid golfer, he remained active

by also competing in the Senior Olympics. Seven years after retiring,

he won the high jump championship in the 70-75-year-old division with

a clearance of 4 feet, 8 inches.

“I was a very healthy 70-year-old,” Taggart said. “About that

time, I had an asthma attack. I’ve had a chronic case of bronchial

asthma for the past 20 years. But I still manage to stay very

active.”

At age 76, Taggart became involved with lawn bowling, which also

fulfilled his need to be outside. He plays four times a week, two

hours a day at the Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Center. He is the

oldest member and works as the club’s volunteer public relations

coordinator.

“It’s great recreation,” Taggart said of lawn bowling. “I think it

has extended my life four or five years. And, it’s not just good

exercise, it’s also good fellowship and great as from a social

aspect.”

Taggart, who will be 92 in November and has been married to his

wife, Marie, for 45 years.