Jim Branom has the reputation of being the finest basketball player to come from Lewiston. He compiled an outstanding scoring record of single game and season, which stood for years and with his 6 '7" frame he was also an outstanding baseball pitcher for Dwight Church's baseball teams.
Branom was a highly competitive athlete who just loved to play. Following his high school success. where he was twice named to the All-Inland Empire basketball year twice, he enrolled at Idaho where he also had an outstanding career.
Branom played with the talents of Whalon Coleman and Gary Simmons, also Hall of Famers, and during his years at Idaho he won many games for the Vandals with his great rebounding and shooting prowess. Branom played for the Vandals in last years of the Pacific Coast Conference and while he competed the Idaho team had wins over all of the powers of the conference, including the powers UCLA, Oregon and California.
Branom was the key player in the Idaho third place finish in 1960. Branom was graduated with a S.S. in Agricultural Engineering and later returned for his Masters Degree. Jim also had a few years of fine baseball, playing for Edmonton in the Western Canada League. Jim later returned to his love of farming on the family farm and was fatally injured in an accident in 1971 .