Walter A. Brown
Encyclopedia
Walter A. Brown was the original owner of the Boston Celtics
as well as an important figure in the development of ice hockey
in the United States.
and attended Boston Latin
from 1922 to 1923 and Philips Exeter Academy from 1923 to 1926. After succeeding his father, George V. Brown
, as manager of the Boston Garden
, he helped to found the Basketball Association of America
in 1946, and was instrumental in merging the BAA and the National Basketball League
into the National Basketball Association
in 1949. He founded the Celtics
in 1945, and helped to transform the team into a dynasty, as the Celtics won six championship
s in the seven years before his death. He is buried in St. John the Evangelist Cemetery in Hopkinton, Massachusetts
.
Brown was the President of the Boston Athletic Association
from 1941 to 1964. In 1951 during the height of the Korean War
, Brown denied Koreans entry into the Boston Marathon
. He stated: "While American soldiers are fighting and dying in Korea, every Korean should be fighting to protect his country instead of training for marathons. As long as the war continues there, we positively will not accept Korean entries for our race on April 19
."
to five Eastern Hockey League
championships and guided the USA to its first gold medal
in the Ice Hockey World Championships
in 1933. In 1951, he bought the financially strapped Boston Bruins
; he had been the Bruins' landlord since becoming the Garden's manager. He served as the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation
from 1954 to 1957.
Brown was honored by having the NBA championship trophy
named after him after he died in 1964.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1962, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1965, and IIHF Hall of Fame
in 1997, its inaugural year.
The Boston Celtics retired uniform number "1" in Brown's honor in 1964.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
as well as an important figure in the development of ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
in the United States.
Life
He was born in Hopkinton, MassachusettsHopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just under 30 miles west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation.For geographic and demographic...
and attended Boston Latin
Boston Latin School
The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23, 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States....
from 1922 to 1923 and Philips Exeter Academy from 1923 to 1926. After succeeding his father, George V. Brown
George V. Brown
George V. Brown of Hopkinton, Massachusetts championed the development of various sports and sporting events in the United States, most notably the Boston Marathon and amateur ice hockey....
, as manager of the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
, he helped to found the Basketball Association of America
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
in 1946, and was instrumental in merging the BAA and the National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
into the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
in 1949. He founded the Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in 1945, and helped to transform the team into a dynasty, as the Celtics won six championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
s in the seven years before his death. He is buried in St. John the Evangelist Cemetery in Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just under 30 miles west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation.For geographic and demographic...
.
Brown was the President of the Boston Athletic Association
Boston Athletic Association
The Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit, organized sports association for the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It hosts such events as the world-renowned Boston Marathon....
from 1941 to 1964. In 1951 during the height of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Brown denied Koreans entry into the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
. He stated: "While American soldiers are fighting and dying in Korea, every Korean should be fighting to protect his country instead of training for marathons. As long as the war continues there, we positively will not accept Korean entries for our race on April 19
Patriots' Day
Patriots' Day is a civic holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War...
."
Hockey
Brown also played an important role in the development of hockey; he coached the amateur Boston OlympicsBoston Olympics
The Boston Olympics are a defunct farm team for the Boston Bruins. They began play during the 1940–41 Eastern Amateur Hockey League season. The Olympics were often referred to by the shortened name the ‘Pics and the franchise remained active until the 1951–52 season.- Franchise History :Founded by...
to five Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
championships and guided the USA to its first gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the Ice Hockey World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
in 1933. In 1951, he bought the financially strapped Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
; he had been the Bruins' landlord since becoming the Garden's manager. He served as the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
from 1954 to 1957.
Honors
Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
The Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy is a trophy awarded to the National Basketball Association team that wins the NBA Finals at the conclusion of every NBA season....
named after him after he died in 1964.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1962, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1965, and IIHF Hall of Fame
IIHF Hall of Fame
The IIHF Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which was established by the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1997, when 30 individuals were inducted at the world championships in Helsinki...
in 1997, its inaugural year.
The Boston Celtics retired uniform number "1" in Brown's honor in 1964.