Philip Schwalb
Encyclopedia
Philip Schwalb is the founder of for-profit Sports Museum of America
in New York City
.
. He received an undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Duke University
and a law degree from Emory University School of Law
. From 1986 - 2000, he held various entertainment, sports industry, and other senior management positions with Court TV, SSYH Software, The Arena Football League, and Centerprise Information Solutions.
and Caroline Kennedy
. In that capacity he also worked closely with Schlossberg's ESI Design, a company that designs interactive exhibits for museums.
In the days prior to 9/11/2001, Schwalb visited the National Basketball Hall of Fame, in Springfield, MA, and was puzzled that so few people were visiting; Schwalb believed that the lack of patronage to the museum was due to its location. It then occurred to him that most sports halls of fame are located in remote locations, inaccessible to most sports fans and certainly those of lesser financial means.
After the events of 9/11 Schwalb sought to participate in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center/Lower Manhattan area by creating a museum celebrating the grandeur of all of sports. The Downtown Athletic Club
, home of the Heisman Trophy
, closed in the wake of the September 11th attacks, and Schwalb set out to create a new Manhattan home for it within a museum that would also span other sports and include rare memorabilia ranging from NASCAR
to Soccer and everything in between.
The Sports Museum of America became the nation's first major museum celebrating all sports : it featured more than 20 original sports films and housed more than 1,100 photographs and 800 artifacts. In addition to becoming the official home of the Heisman Trophy and its annual presentation, the Museum also housed the first ever Women's Sports Hall of Fame. Among its Board of Directors were Lance Armstrong
, Mario Andretti
, Martina Navratilova, Joe Frazier
, Bob Cousy
, Billie Jean King
, Paul Hornung
, Tim Duncan
, Jason Kidd
and two dozen other Hall of Fame
athletes.
Schwalb raised $100 million over a three-year period, which included $57 million in Liberty Bonds issued to keep downtown businesses thriving after the attacks. Because the Liberty Bonds were solely designated to for-profit businesses, Schwalb decided to structure the museum as a for-profit organization. To ensure the museum was collaborative, Schwalb struck agreements with 60 non-profit partners, including every major sports hall of fame in North America and every notable national sports governing body (e.g. USTA, USGA, U.S. Soccer, USA Hockey). Schwalb also secured over 200 private investors, primarily Wall Street executives, to finance the museum—getting them to agree to donate 2% of revenues to charity.
Opening on May 7, 2008 to much fanfare at 26 Broadway
in the former Standard Oil
headquarters, the museum abounded in interactive exhibits. Nearly 100 hall of fame athletes attending the opening and speakers included Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Billie Jean King speaking on behalf of the Women's Sports Foundation, Tony Dorsett speaking on behalf of the Heisman Trophy and New York's Super Bowl winning quarterback, Eli Manning. The museum's location, at the end of the Canyon of Heroes ticker tape parades, was close to the heavily visited ferry to the Statue of Liberty
.
Despite an award winning reception, including Nickelodeon's Parents' Pick award for best museum in New York City for children, and its high tech interactive exhibits, the museum was criticized for its relatively nondescript entrance in the Standard Oil Building due to landmark restrictions. Attendance lagged far behind the predicted 800,000 a year. At the height of the scare on Wall Street, early 2009, the museum (which was just one block from the New York Stock Exchange ) closed until further notice.
and is involved in numerous sports-related charities. He currently lives with his wife and two twin children in Orlando, Florida.
Sports Museum of America
The Sports Museum of America was the United States' first national sports museum dedicated to the history and cultural significance of sports in America. It opened on May 7, 2008 and closed February 20, 2009.-History:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Early life and Career
Schwalb was raised in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. He received an undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and a law degree from Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law is a first-tier US law school that is part of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. It is ranked #30 among ABA-approved law schools by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report...
. From 1986 - 2000, he held various entertainment, sports industry, and other senior management positions with Court TV, SSYH Software, The Arena Football League, and Centerprise Information Solutions.
Sports Museum of America
In 2001 he was working for The Perfect Client Inc., a company owned by the family of Edwin SchlossbergEdwin Schlossberg
Edwin Arthur Schlossberg , founder and principal of ESI Design, is an American designer, author and artist. Schlossberg specializes in designing interactive, participatory experiences, beginning in 1977 with the first hands-on learning environment in the U.S. for the Brooklyn Children's Museum...
and Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F...
. In that capacity he also worked closely with Schlossberg's ESI Design, a company that designs interactive exhibits for museums.
In the days prior to 9/11/2001, Schwalb visited the National Basketball Hall of Fame, in Springfield, MA, and was puzzled that so few people were visiting; Schwalb believed that the lack of patronage to the museum was due to its location. It then occurred to him that most sports halls of fame are located in remote locations, inaccessible to most sports fans and certainly those of lesser financial means.
After the events of 9/11 Schwalb sought to participate in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center/Lower Manhattan area by creating a museum celebrating the grandeur of all of sports. The Downtown Athletic Club
Downtown Athletic Club
The Downtown Athletic Club was a private social club and athletic club in a 35-story building located at 19 West Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA.-History:...
, home of the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, closed in the wake of the September 11th attacks, and Schwalb set out to create a new Manhattan home for it within a museum that would also span other sports and include rare memorabilia ranging from NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
to Soccer and everything in between.
The Sports Museum of America became the nation's first major museum celebrating all sports : it featured more than 20 original sports films and housed more than 1,100 photographs and 800 artifacts. In addition to becoming the official home of the Heisman Trophy and its annual presentation, the Museum also housed the first ever Women's Sports Hall of Fame. Among its Board of Directors were Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
, Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
, Martina Navratilova, Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
, Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
, Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...
, Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
, Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
, Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
and two dozen other Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
athletes.
Schwalb raised $100 million over a three-year period, which included $57 million in Liberty Bonds issued to keep downtown businesses thriving after the attacks. Because the Liberty Bonds were solely designated to for-profit businesses, Schwalb decided to structure the museum as a for-profit organization. To ensure the museum was collaborative, Schwalb struck agreements with 60 non-profit partners, including every major sports hall of fame in North America and every notable national sports governing body (e.g. USTA, USGA, U.S. Soccer, USA Hockey). Schwalb also secured over 200 private investors, primarily Wall Street executives, to finance the museum—getting them to agree to donate 2% of revenues to charity.
Opening on May 7, 2008 to much fanfare at 26 Broadway
26 Broadway
26 Broadway is a 31-story, 159 m, 520 ft New York City Designated Landmark at the southern tip of Manhattan at Bowling Green...
in the former Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
headquarters, the museum abounded in interactive exhibits. Nearly 100 hall of fame athletes attending the opening and speakers included Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Billie Jean King speaking on behalf of the Women's Sports Foundation, Tony Dorsett speaking on behalf of the Heisman Trophy and New York's Super Bowl winning quarterback, Eli Manning. The museum's location, at the end of the Canyon of Heroes ticker tape parades, was close to the heavily visited ferry to the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
.
Despite an award winning reception, including Nickelodeon's Parents' Pick award for best museum in New York City for children, and its high tech interactive exhibits, the museum was criticized for its relatively nondescript entrance in the Standard Oil Building due to landmark restrictions. Attendance lagged far behind the predicted 800,000 a year. At the height of the scare on Wall Street, early 2009, the museum (which was just one block from the New York Stock Exchange ) closed until further notice.
Personal life
Schwalb has lectured at both NYU and Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and is involved in numerous sports-related charities. He currently lives with his wife and two twin children in Orlando, Florida.