Sunday, March 15, 2020
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Afterwards
Although he didn't get to enjoy it in person, Frank Hill built a memorable team in just his fifth season at Rutgers. Some may have thought it was a one time thing, but just two years later, Rutgers received not one, but two post season invitations - to a larger 32 team AAU event and a new eight team college tournament (not the NCAA). This time, unmoved by student petitions, the faculty declined both opportunities citing the expense, time lost from class and the risk of over commercializing the sport. Undeterred, Hill's 1923 team won even more games, finishing 11-3 with eight straight wins to close out the season. After the 1922 season, Hill gave up the St. Benedict's Prep coaching job and did the same at Seton Hall University in 1930 to concentrate on his work at Rutgers. All told Hill's college teams won 415 games at both New Jersey colleges with a .640 winning percentage. He is a member of the athletic hall of fame of both institutions as well as St. Benedict's Prep. Hill was also a highly regarded referee for 35 years. He retired from Rutgers after the 1943 season and died on August 22, 1944 at the age of 65. His grandson, Chris Hill played basketball at Rutgers in the early 1970s before an very successful career as Athletic Director at the University of Utah.
Both seniors on the 1920 team, Leland Taliaferro and Calvin Meury received well deserved recognition for their achievements at Rutgers when both were elected to Cap and Skull, Rutgers highest honorary society. After graduation, Taliaferro attended Columbia Law School and worked first in private practice before beginning a long career at Public Service. He died relatively young at the age of 55 on August 5, 1952. Meury also pursued further education after Rutgers, attending the New Brunswick Theological Seminary and was ordained a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, the denomination that founded Rutgers. After serving long pastorates at churches in Syracuse and Schenectady, he became National Youth Director for the Church in North America. On his death in 1985, Meury asked that memorial gifts be made to support athletic scholarships at Rutgers. Art Hall, the sole junior on the 1920 team was chosen captain of the 1921 team. After graduation, he had a long career in business both in the food industry and real estate. His son, Frederick Arthur Jr graduated from Rutgers in 1953.
As noted earlier, Walter French was one of the greatest athletes ever to play at Rutgers, but is largely forgotten today because he left Rutgers after his sophomore season to enroll at West Point. Under the rules of the day he had four more years of eligibility and could have played college sports for six years. French enjoyed football success at West Point, but academic problems forced him to leave the academy. On the brink of enlisting in the army, the Moorestown product was offered the opportunity to play minor league baseball which began a journey that led him to Philadelphia Athletics where he hit .305 in 1926 and was a reserve on the A's 1929 World Series championship team. While a member of the Athletics in 1925, French played professional football for the Pottsville Maroons in the National Football League and was a key contributor when his team defeated the Chicago Cardinals for the 1925 championship. Although the title was vacated on a technicality, French is the only player to be part of a World Series and NFL championship team. French served with distinction in the army in World War II, became baseball coach at West Point and was named an honorary member of the West Point Class of 1925. He died on March 3, 1984.
The sole freshman on the 1920 starting five, Edward Benzoni was the first four year basketball starter in Rutgers history. The second leading scorer on that team without taking a single foul shot, the Union Hill product used his 1920 success as a springboard to becoming the greatest offensive player in the first 30 years of Rutgers basketball. By the time he graduated in 1923, Benzoni had set records for points in a game (three separate times), points in a season and points in a career among other achievements. Most of his records stood until the late 1940s. Especially impressive was his junior season when he became the first Rutgers player to average 20 points in a season, a major achievement in that low scoring era. He stood alone in that category until the 1950s and remains one of only 13 Rutgers players to average 20 points per game. Benzoni was the captain of the 1923 team and like Taliaferro and Meury before him was elected to Cap and Skull as a senior. After a brief period of professional basketball, Benzoni worked in a family business until his death in March of 1966.
A century has passed since the 1920 team first brought national recognition to Rutgers basketball. Not only was it a very different time, Rutgers was a very different school and basketball was a very different game. Indeed its hard to know who would experience more cultural shock, today's players transported to the school and game of 1920 or those long ago athletes experiencing today's state university competing in a premier athletic/academic conference. At the same time, however no matter how different the uniforms, both teams wore the red jerseys of Rutgers basketball. Besides school colors, however, there is another thread that connects all Rutgers basketball teams, the potential to bring positive recognition to the school. Even in that more limited communication age, the 1920 team's achievements attracted media attention from Florida to California. Be it the 1920 team or this year's squad, a century later, the words of George Harrington Rutgers Class of 1898, an eyewitness to the 1920 AAU tournament, still apply.
"Rutgers name today stands in the South and has been published to the entire country
at the very top, and this the boys have won for their Alma Mater by being themselves,
and that is true gentlemen. They have honored themselves: they have accredited
their college. No one could ask for more."
May it always be so!
Frank J. Hill
Both seniors on the 1920 team, Leland Taliaferro and Calvin Meury received well deserved recognition for their achievements at Rutgers when both were elected to Cap and Skull, Rutgers highest honorary society. After graduation, Taliaferro attended Columbia Law School and worked first in private practice before beginning a long career at Public Service. He died relatively young at the age of 55 on August 5, 1952. Meury also pursued further education after Rutgers, attending the New Brunswick Theological Seminary and was ordained a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, the denomination that founded Rutgers. After serving long pastorates at churches in Syracuse and Schenectady, he became National Youth Director for the Church in North America. On his death in 1985, Meury asked that memorial gifts be made to support athletic scholarships at Rutgers. Art Hall, the sole junior on the 1920 team was chosen captain of the 1921 team. After graduation, he had a long career in business both in the food industry and real estate. His son, Frederick Arthur Jr graduated from Rutgers in 1953.
Calvin Meury
As noted earlier, Walter French was one of the greatest athletes ever to play at Rutgers, but is largely forgotten today because he left Rutgers after his sophomore season to enroll at West Point. Under the rules of the day he had four more years of eligibility and could have played college sports for six years. French enjoyed football success at West Point, but academic problems forced him to leave the academy. On the brink of enlisting in the army, the Moorestown product was offered the opportunity to play minor league baseball which began a journey that led him to Philadelphia Athletics where he hit .305 in 1926 and was a reserve on the A's 1929 World Series championship team. While a member of the Athletics in 1925, French played professional football for the Pottsville Maroons in the National Football League and was a key contributor when his team defeated the Chicago Cardinals for the 1925 championship. Although the title was vacated on a technicality, French is the only player to be part of a World Series and NFL championship team. French served with distinction in the army in World War II, became baseball coach at West Point and was named an honorary member of the West Point Class of 1925. He died on March 3, 1984.
Leland Taliaferro
The sole freshman on the 1920 starting five, Edward Benzoni was the first four year basketball starter in Rutgers history. The second leading scorer on that team without taking a single foul shot, the Union Hill product used his 1920 success as a springboard to becoming the greatest offensive player in the first 30 years of Rutgers basketball. By the time he graduated in 1923, Benzoni had set records for points in a game (three separate times), points in a season and points in a career among other achievements. Most of his records stood until the late 1940s. Especially impressive was his junior season when he became the first Rutgers player to average 20 points in a season, a major achievement in that low scoring era. He stood alone in that category until the 1950s and remains one of only 13 Rutgers players to average 20 points per game. Benzoni was the captain of the 1923 team and like Taliaferro and Meury before him was elected to Cap and Skull as a senior. After a brief period of professional basketball, Benzoni worked in a family business until his death in March of 1966.
A century has passed since the 1920 team first brought national recognition to Rutgers basketball. Not only was it a very different time, Rutgers was a very different school and basketball was a very different game. Indeed its hard to know who would experience more cultural shock, today's players transported to the school and game of 1920 or those long ago athletes experiencing today's state university competing in a premier athletic/academic conference. At the same time, however no matter how different the uniforms, both teams wore the red jerseys of Rutgers basketball. Besides school colors, however, there is another thread that connects all Rutgers basketball teams, the potential to bring positive recognition to the school. Even in that more limited communication age, the 1920 team's achievements attracted media attention from Florida to California. Be it the 1920 team or this year's squad, a century later, the words of George Harrington Rutgers Class of 1898, an eyewitness to the 1920 AAU tournament, still apply.
"Rutgers name today stands in the South and has been published to the entire country
at the very top, and this the boys have won for their Alma Mater by being themselves,
and that is true gentlemen. They have honored themselves: they have accredited
their college. No one could ask for more."
May it always be so!
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