Harry Gallatin
Personal information
Born(1927-04-26)April 26, 1927
Roxana, Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 7, 2015(2015-10-07) (aged 88)
Edwardsville, Illinois, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (198 cm)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High schoolRoxana (Roxana, Illinois)
CollegeTruman (1946–1948)
BAA draft1948: – 4th round, – 40 overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career1948–1958
PositionForward / center
Number11, 10
Career history
As player:
1948–1957New York Knicks
1957–1958Detroit Pistons
As coach:
1958–1962Southern Illinois
1962–1965St. Louis Hawks
1965–1966New York Knicks
1967–1970SIU Edwardsville
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Halls of Fame:

  • NAIA Hall of Fame (1957)
  • IBCA Hall of Fame (1974)
  • Truman State Athletics Hall of Fame (1984 & 2007)
  • Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (1989)
  • SIU Edwardsville Athletics Hall of Fame (2005)
  • MIAA Hall of Fame (2010)
  • IHSA Basketball Hall of Fame (2014)
  • SIU Salukis Hall of Fame (2015)
Career BAA / NBA statistics
Points8,843 (13.0 ppg)
Rebounds6,684 (11.9 rpg)
Assists1,208 (1.8 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

Harry Junior "The Horse" Gallatin (April 26, 1927 – October 7, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Gallatin played nine seasons for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1948 to 1957, as well as one season with the Detroit Pistons in the 1957–58 season. Gallatin led the NBA in rebounding and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1954. The following year, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team. For his career, Gallatin played in seven NBA All-Star Games. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, he is also a member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, the SIU Edwardsville Athletics Hall of Fame, the Truman State University Athletics Hall of Fame, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, two Illinois Basketball Halls of Fame, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Hall of Fame, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame, and the SIU Salukis Hall of Fame.[1]

Early life

Harry Junior "The Horse" Gallatin was born on April 26, 1927, in Roxana, Illinois, where he grew up. Gallatin had taken interest in all sports and has been quoted as saying, "Competition has always been my cup of tea."[2] His drive for competition was amplified during his first year in high school as he attended Wood River High School from 1940 to 1941. Since Roxana and some other outlying communities like Bethalto had no high school of their own at the time, all the athletes in the area attended Wood River, thus increasing the level of competition among them for varsity positions. The following year, however, Roxana got its own high school. He graduated from Roxana High School in 1944, and was granted a basketball scholarship by Northeast Missouri State Teachers' College (now known as Truman State University). But after graduating from Roxana High School, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served until the end of World War II.[3]

College career

At Northeast Missouri, Gallatin averaged 12.9 points per game and lead his team to a 59–4 record and two appearances in the NAIA tournament.[1] He earned his bachelor's degree from Northeast Missouri in only two years and would later receive his master's degree in physical education from the University of Iowa in 1954.[4]

Professional basketball career

On July 1, 1947, Gallantin was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the 4th round of the 1947 BAA Draft.

New York Knicks (1948–1957)

On May 10, 1948, the New York Knicks selected Gallatin in the 1948 BAA draft. "It was a dream come true. I really didn't know what to expect; it was my first plane ride, from St. Louis to New York. Here I am a boy from Wood River, a country boy, and going to the Big Apple", Gallatin explained. "All I knew was that I loved to play basketball, and the Knicks had taken me with their number one choice. So I knew that they thought I had the kind of abilities they were looking for."[2]

On March 21, 1949, Gallatin was drafted by the New York Knicks in the 2nd round (20th pick) of the 1949 BAA Draft.

In his third year in the NBA, Gallatin was selected for the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951, and from 1951 to 1957 was chosen for seven consecutive NBA All-Star games. It was in the NBA where he earned the nickname "The Horse". He played his entire career as an undersized center at 6'6" and 215 lbs., but made up for it with tremendous physical strength. He played nine seasons for the New York Knicks, from 1948 to 1957. His best statistical year was in 1954, when he led the NBA in rebounding, averaging 15.3 rebounds per game. That same year, he was also named to the All-NBA First Team. His most dominating single-game performance was on the last regular season game of the 1952–53 season. That night, against the Fort Wayne Pistons, Gallatin pulled down 33 rebounds, a Knicks record which still stands today.[2] In the six seasons he played when rebounds were recorded, he was among the leaders in the league in rebounds per game.[5] For his career, he averaged 11.9 rebounds per game. Gallatin still holds the Knick team record of consecutive games played, with 610.[6]

Detroit Pistons (1957–1958)

After nine strong years with the Knicks, Gallatin was traded to the Detroit Pistons with Richard Atha and Nathaniel Clifton for Mel Hutchins and Charlie Tyra on April 3, 1957.[5] He played only one season for the Pistons before retiring as one of the most dominating post players of his era.[7]

Professional baseball career

Minor leagues

In addition to basketball, Gallatin also played baseball. He played two seasons of varsity baseball at Northeast Missouri.[1] During the off-seasons between his first three seasons in the NBA, he played for the Class B Decatur, Illinois Cubs/Commodores of the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League, which was an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs in 1949 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1950. He appeared in 46 games in those two seasons, winning 7, losing 9 and batting .227 in 75 at-bats. After the 1950 baseball season, however, he made basketball his only professional sport.[2][8]

Coaching career

Southern Illinois (1958–1962)

After his retirement from playing in 1958, Gallatin became the head coach of the Southern Illinois University Salukis. In four seasons there, he led his teams to a 69–35 record and post-season tournament appearances every year. The 1961–62 team made it to the NCAA Small College (now Division II) Tournament semifinals before barely losing to eventual champion Mount St. Mary's College 58–57, then took third place by beating Nebraska Wesleyan University 98–81.[9]

St. Louis Hawks (1962–1965)

Gallatin returned to the NBA in 1962 as coach of the St. Louis Hawks. In his first season, he led the Hawks to the division finals and was named NBA Coach of the Year. The 1963–64 season saw the Hawks again advance to the division finals. The eighth coach since the franchise's arrival in St. Louis in 1955, he was fired on December 28, 1964, despite the Hawks being in second place in the NBA Western Division. He was replaced by Richie Guerin.[10]

New York Knicks (1965–1966)

Gallatin returned to New York to coach the Knicks which were developing into a championship team, but the pieces were not yet all in place and Gallatin left the Knicks and the NBA midway through the 1965–66 season.[11]

SIU Edwardsville (1967–1970)

Gallatin became Assistant Dean of Students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1966, then the first athletic director and basketball coach in 1967. He remained at SIUE until his retirement in 1992, where he also taught in the physical education department and was the SIUE Cougars's men's golf coach for 24 years, leading that team to NCAA Division II championships 19 times and finishing in the top 10 six times.[12]

After his retirement from coaching, Gallatin remained active and enthusiastic, while continuing to live in Edwardsville, Illinois.[2] He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991,[13] and was also named to nine other Halls of Fame. In 2011, the New York Knicks honored him in their second "Legends Night Awards" along with other former Knicks stars Dick Barnett, Earl Monroe, Mark Jackson, John Starks and Allan Houston,[14] and in May 2015, the Knicks added him to Madison Square Garden's Walk of Fame.[15]

Death

Harry Gallatin died on October 7, 2015, following surgery. He was survived by Beverly Hull Gallatin, his wife since 1949; their sons, Steve, Jim, and Bill; his sister, Eileen Palmer; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.[16]

Legacy

On June 24, 2013, Gallatin took part as the SIUE athletics department broke ground for a new golf training facility. Following approval by the SIU Board of Trustees, it was officially named the Harry Gallatin Golf Training Facility.[17] The facility, initially proposed as an on-campus venue, was moved when Sunset Hills Country Club (SHCC) in Edwardsville.offered to partner in the endeavor. The approximately $500,000, 1,840-square-foot facility was opened to SIUE students and SHCC members on December 10, 2019.[18]

BAA/NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

Regular season

Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1948–49 New York 52–.328.710–1.28.3
1949–50 New York 68–.396.757–0.811.8
1950–51 New York 66–.416.73212.12.712.8
1951–52 New York 6629.3.442.80610.03.411.2
1952–53 New York 7033.3.444.70013.11.812.4
1953–54 New York 7237.4.404.78415.3*2.113.2
1954–55 New York 7235.4.384.81413.82.414.6
1955–56 New York 7233.0.386.78710.32.313.9
1956–57 New York 7227.0.406.80010.11.215.0
1957–58 Detroit 7227.6.379.78710.41.214.9
Career 68231.9.398.77311.91.813.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1949 New York 6–.357.821–1.712.0
1950 New York 5–.385.781–1.213.0
1951 New York 14–.350.77011.61.911.8
1952 New York 1433.6.410.7739.61.410.8
1953 New York 1127.5.419.74610.91.410.5
1954 New York 437.8.457.71015.31.513.5
1955 New York 336.0.452.77314.72.318.3
1958 Detroit 726.0.368.70310.01.612.9
Career 6431.2.390.76111.21.612.0

Head coaching record

NBA

Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
St. Louis Hawks 1962–63 804832.6002nd in West1165.545 Lost in Division finals
St. Louis Hawks 1963–64 804634.5752nd in West1266.500 Lost in Division finals
St. Louis Hawks 1964–65 331716.515----- -
New York Knicks 1964–65 421923.452----- -
New York Knicks 1965–66 21615.286————— —
Career total 256136120.531231211.511

College

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Southern Illinois Salukis (Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1958–1962)
1958–59 Southern Illinois 17–109–32ndNCAA College Division Regional Third Place
1959–60 Southern Illinois 20–99–3T–1stNAIA First Round
1960–61 Southern Illinois 21–612–01stNCAA College Division Regional Runner-up
1961–62 Southern Illinois 21–109–31stNCAA College Division Third Place
Southern Illinois: 79–3539–9
SIU Edwardsville Cougars (NCAA College Division independent) (1967–1970)
1967–68 SIU Edwardsville 5–5
1968–69 SIU Edwardsville 7–10
1969–70 SIU Edwardsville 7–16
SIU Edwardsville: 19–31
Total:58–40

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Truman State University Athletics Bulldogs". Truman State University. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Roseberry, Bill (December 3, 2007). "A Living Legend". Edwardsville Intelligencer. TownNews.com. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
  3. ↑ Roseberry, Bill (January 9, 2015). "Gallatin is a local legend". Advantage News. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Harry Gallatin, Hall of Fame NBA basketball player, dies at 88". The Washington Post. October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Basketball-Reference.com: Harry Gallatin". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Hall of Fame Basketball Player Harry Gallatin Dies", The New York Times, October 7, 2015
  7. ↑ KNICKS: #11 Harry Gallatin Archived October 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "Harry Gallatin Minor Leagues Statistics & History – Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  9. ↑ "2011–12 Media Guide – Southern Illinois Salukis" (PDF). Southern Illinois University. 2011. p. 81. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 22, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Guerin Is Named to Replace Gallatin as Coach of St. Louis Hawks," United Press International (UPI), Monday, December 28, 1964. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Harry Gallatin". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  12. ↑ "SIUE". Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  13. ↑ "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – Hall of Famers". hoophall.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  14. ↑ "News". New York Knicks. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Knicks great Harry Gallatin dead at 88". NY Post. October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Harry Gallatin, Rugged and Durable Hall of Famer With the Knicks, Dies at 88". The New York Times. October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  17. ↑ "SIUE". Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Southern Illinois University Edwardsville". College AD. December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
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