Hal Baylor

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Hal Harvey Fieberling (born Hal David Britton; December 10, 1918 – January 15, 1998) known by his stage name Hal Baylor, was an American boxer and screen character actor. He had a professional boxing record of 16–8–3, and later appeared in 76 films and over 500 episodes of various television shows.

Early years

Born in San Antonio, Texas, to David Locke Britton and Thelma Hallie Bowles, he grew up in Oakland, California when his mother remarried to Walter H. Fieberling during January 1925. After Oakland High School, he attended Chico State College where he played on the football team. He transferred to Washington State College in the Fall of 1938, where he pledged Phi Delta Theta. But by December 1939 he was working as an apprentice butcher in a meat market on 14th Street in Oakland.

Boxing

Fieberling had his first amateur fight in San Francisco, during June 1938, while still a college student. Representing the Athens Athletic Club of Oakland, he won the California Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) novice heavyweight title in a single bout on points. A newspaper report on his first boxing match mentioned he was left-handed. He repeated the triumph in August 1939, this time taking the State AAU heavyweight title by knocking out 6' 6" 225 lb. Jack Hillman of the San Francisco Olympic Club. However, the following month he lost a rematch on points to Hillman, his first amateur defeat.