Anti-Semitism at the Garden, by Ari Sclar

Despite the disappointment of the 1946 season, CCNY had greater success in 1947.  That year, Holman led the team to a regular season record of 15-4, including a 91-60 victory over NYU.  CCNY then defeated Syracuse to qualify for the NCAA tournament, where it finished in fourth-place.  CCNY included Holman’s first African-American players, Sonny Jameson and Joe Galiber, both of whom would serve as captains in future seasons.  The team, which remained predominantly Jewish with four starters and five reserves, became involved in an incident at the Garden that reflected the intensity of college basketball.  The incident’s aftermath indicated American Jews’ growing acceptance in American society and their continued anxiety regarding the permanence of this acceptance.

On December 27, 1946, CCNY played the University of Wyoming at the Garden.  A close game until the final minutes when CCNY pulled away, the “thrill packed struggle” almost turned into “bedlam” as a result of “two near-fights, one on the court involving the players and the other on the rival benches.”  The New York Times reported that “when the players tangled on the floor, everyone knew what it was about – a lot of tense athletes, pushing each around in the heat of battle.”  In contrast, “no one could imagine what was behind the verbal conflict – with threatening gestures – that went on on the benches.”

During the game, CCNY’s Nat Holman advanced toward Wyoming coach Everett Shelton twice.  Holman then refused to shake Shelton’s hand at the end, which made it “apparent that something was radically wrong.”  After the game, Holman explained in an interview that, “I heard Shelton uttering derogatory remarks and took exception.  In fact, I threatened to punch him if he repeated them.”[1]  Newsweek quoted Shelton as stating: “those New York Jews are getting away with everything.”  Three days after the game, Shelton apologized, although he “denied that his words…were anti-Semitic.”  He explained: “I am very sorry that my remarks caused such a disturbance…what I said about Jews had nothing to do with religion or anything else.  The word ‘Jew’ was merely descriptive.  I did not swear.  In our section of the country, when we play against Indians we call them Indians and we call Swedes Swedes.”[2]

The incident triggered an outpouring of anti-Semitic letters sent to Holman.  ‘Anonymous’ exclaimed that Christians “hate you and your hooked-nose foreigners.”  A letter from Dallas differentiated “we Americans” from the “Jew” and stated that “Hitlers” will continue “springing up all over the world unless the jew changes himself…it is not the people that need changing as much as it is the jew.”  Another letter broached the stereotype of the weak Jew.  “You people should learn to punch and not squeak and everyone would give you more credit. That is the real American way.”  Finally, a self-proclaimed Irishman declared that when “we Irish” were attacked, “we simply laugh the jackass down.”  Jews needed to learn this skill, since, “the jockeying in sports is part of the game and this incident at the Garden was much akin to such doings.”[3]

Holman also received supportive letters from both Jews and non-Jews.  The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) hoped Shelton would provide a sincere apology because he “was guilty of an unsportsmanlike, an un-American and a dangerous act.” [4]  The CCNY faculty athletic committee passed a resolution that the school would no longer schedule games “against teams coached by Shelton.”  Milton Gross, the former vice president of the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association, declared that “Shelton had forfeited his right to coach a basketball team.” [5]  Other individuals and organizations condemned Shelton’s remarks and sent letters of support to Holman.  The Labor Sports Federation, the Jewish Postal Workers Welfare League, National Negro Congress, and the American Labor Party all praised Holman for his actions.  Some of Holman’s former players also expressed pride in his actions as “a long step in striking against racial and religious intolerance which unfortunately prevails in our institutions of higher learning today.”[6]  The incident and response, from Holman’s supporters and opponents, reflected the experiences of American Jews in the 1940s.

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[1] “City College Tops Wyoming Quintet in Garden, 57 to 48,” New York Times, December 28, 1946.

[2] “Basketball Coach Makes An Apology,” New York Times, December 31, 1946; “Basketball: Heated Words,” Newsweek, January 6, 1947.  One report found in the Nat Holman archives indicated that Shelton actually stated that, “those New York Jews and Niggers are getting away with everything.”  However, the press focused on Shelton’s use of the word ‘Jew’ and no other correspondence or report confirmed this account.

[3] Many of the correspondence held in the CCNY Archives contained vicious attacks on Holman personally and American Jews in general.  See Anonymous to Nat Holman, January 2, 1947; W.B. Johnson to Nat Holman, undated; George Biltman to Nat Holman, January 6, 1947; John J. Hurley to Nat Holman (and Dan Parker of the New York Daily Mirror), January 3, 1947. All letters in the Nat Holman Papers, Box 2, Holman, Nat. Correspondence. Wyoming Game. 1946. CCNY Archives, New York.

[4] Meier Steinbrink to Harry Wright, December 31, 1946, Nat Holman Papers, Box 2, Holman, Nat. Correspondence. Wyoming Game. 1946. CCNY Archives, New York.

[5] “Basketball Coach Makes An Apology,” New York Times, December 31, 1946.

[6] See Leon Slofrock to Nat Holman, December 30, 1946; Louis Brumberg to Nat Holman, December 30, 1946; Max Yergen to Nat Holman, December 30, 1946; Samuel Kaplan to Nat Holman, December 30, 1946. All letters in Nat Holman Papers, Box 2, Holman, Nat. Correspondence. Wyoming Game. 1946. CCNY Archives, New York. Quote from player Sam Liss to Nat Holman, January 7, 1947.