James Clay Forbes was born the first son of Fred R. Forbes and Ethyle M. (Gentry) Forbes on Feb. 24, 1933, in Houston. He attended Houston Schools and graduated from high school in 1951. In high school, he played football, lettering all four years as an offensive and defensive lineman under Coach Harold Eberhart. He earned letters for his participation in basketball and track as well. Built large and rugged, he was well suited to line play. His foot speed or lack thereof, led to his high school nickname, “Beadle Bomb.” This was a reference to a Spike Jones song about a horse race in which the horse, “Beadle Bomb,” leads the field the whole race but ends up finishing last. He played trumpet in the band.
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