Harry Gallatin facts for kids
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 26, 1927 Roxana, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | October 7, 2015 (aged 88) Edwardsville, Illinois |
| High school | Roxana (Roxana, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6ft 6in |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Truman (1946–1948) |
| NBA Draft | 1948 / Round: – 4th / Pick: – 40 overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Pro career | 1948–1958 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1948–1957 | New York Knicks |
| 1957–1958 | Detroit Pistons |
| As coach: | |
| 1958–1962 | Southern Illinois |
| 1962–1965 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1965–1966 | New York Knicks |
| 1967–1970 | SIU Edwardsville |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
Halls of Fame:
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| Career BAA / NBA statistics | |
| Points | 8,843 (13.0 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,684 (11.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,208 (1.8 apg) |
Harry Junior "The Horse" Gallatin (April 26, 1927 – October 7, 2015) was a famous American basketball player and coach. He played nine seasons for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played one season with the Detroit Pistons.
Gallatin was a top player. He led the NBA in rebounds in 1954. He was chosen for the All-NBA First Team that year. The next year, he made the All-NBA Second Team. He played in seven NBA All-Star Games during his career.
Harry Gallatin is a member of many Halls of Fame. These include the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and High School Years
Harry Gallatin grew up in Roxana, Illinois. He loved all kinds of sports. He once said, "Competition has always been my cup of tea." This shows how much he enjoyed competing.
In his first year of high school, he went to Wood River High School. Many athletes from nearby towns also went there. This made the competition for sports teams very tough. The next year, Roxana got its own high school. Harry graduated from Roxana High School in 1944.
He earned a basketball scholarship to Northeast Missouri State Teachers' College. This school is now known as Truman State University. After high school, he joined the United States Navy. He served until World War II ended.
College Basketball Career
At Northeast Missouri, Harry Gallatin was a great player. He scored about 12.9 points per game. He helped his team get an amazing 59–4 record. They also played in the NAIA tournament twice.
He finished his bachelor's degree in just two years. Later, in 1954, he earned a master's degree. He studied physical education at the University of Iowa.
Playing in the NBA
The New York Knicks picked Harry Gallatin in the 1948 BAA draft. He was very excited about this. He said it was "a dream come true." He was a "country boy" from Illinois going to "the Big Apple."
He knew the Knicks believed in his skills. They chose him as their top pick. He just loved to play basketball.
Becoming "The Horse"
In his third year, Harry was chosen for the first-ever NBA All-Star Game in 1951. He went on to play in seven All-Star games in a row. It was in the NBA that he got his famous nickname, "The Horse."
He was 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 215 pounds. This was considered small for a center player back then. But he made up for it with incredible physical strength.
Knicks Star Player
Harry played nine seasons for the New York Knicks. His best year was 1954. He led the NBA in rebounding, grabbing 15.3 rebounds per game. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team that year.
He set a Knicks record that still stands today. In one game in 1953, he grabbed 33 rebounds! This was against the Fort Wayne Pistons. He played 610 games in a row for the Knicks. This is another team record.
After nine strong years, the Knicks traded Harry. He went to the Detroit Pistons in 1957. He played one season there before he retired. He was known as one of the best "post players" of his time.
Playing Baseball Too
Besides basketball, Harry Gallatin also played baseball. He played two seasons of college baseball at Northeast Missouri.
During the NBA off-seasons, he played professional baseball. He played for teams like the Decatur Cubs/Commodores. These teams were connected to the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. He played in 46 games. After the 1950 baseball season, he decided to focus only on basketball.
Life After Playing Basketball
After retiring as a player in 1958, Harry Gallatin became a coach.
College Coaching
He became the head coach for the Southern Illinois University Salukis. In four seasons, his teams had a great record of 69 wins and 35 losses. They made it to post-season tournaments every year. In 1962, his team finished third in the NCAA Small College Tournament.
NBA Coaching
In 1962, he returned to the NBA to coach the St. Louis Hawks. In his first year, he led the Hawks to the division finals. He was named NBA Coach of the Year. The Hawks reached the division finals again in 1964.
He later coached the New York Knicks for a short time. He left the NBA in the middle of the 1965–66 season.
Life at SIU Edwardsville
In 1966, he became an Assistant Dean of Students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The next year, he became the first athletic director and basketball coach there. He stayed at SIUE until he retired in 1992.
He also taught in the physical education department. For 24 years, he coached the SIUE Cougars' men's golf team. He led them to NCAA Division II championships 19 times!
Awards and Recognition
Even after retiring from coaching, Harry Gallatin stayed active. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. He was also honored in nine other Halls of Fame.
In 2011, the New York Knicks honored him at their "Legends Night Awards." In 2015, the Knicks added him to Madison Square Garden's Walk of Fame.
Death
Harry Gallatin passed away on October 7, 2015, after surgery. He was 88 years old. He was survived by his wife, Beverly, and their three sons, Steve, Jim, and Bill. He also had a sister, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Legacy
Harry Gallatin's impact is still felt today. On June 24, 2013, he helped break ground for a new golf training facility at SIUE. This facility was officially named the Harry Gallatin Golf Training Facility. It opened in 2019 and is used by SIUE students and members of the Sunset Hills Country Club.
