Salem Crescent Athletic Club

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The Salem Crescent Athletic Club was a sports club for black athletes in Harlem in Upper Manhattan, New York City. [1] It was established in 1911 by Reverend Frederick Asbury Cullen of the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church. [1] In the early years, the club had a strong track and field team affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union, with national winners in the 220-yard dash and 440-yard dash events in 1915 and 1925. [1] [2] [3] It later became known for its amateur boxing team, which produced boxers such as Sugar Ray Robinson, who won the Golden Gloves featherweight and lightweight championships in 1939 and 1940. [1] [4] [5] The club also had a basketball team and was a member of the Metropolitan Basketball Association. [1] [6]

Contents

History

Salem-Crescent A.C. track team in 1911 with Reverend F. A. Cullen Salem-Crescent Athletic Club, New York City (1911).png
Salem-Crescent A.C. track team in 1911 with Reverend F. A. Cullen

In 1911, Reverend Cullen started the Salem-Crescent Athletic Club by inviting neighborhood boys to use the Salem Methodist Church for their meetings and getting them involved in the church through sports and other community programs. [1] At the time, the church was located at 129 West 133rd Street. [1] It was one of many athletic clubs for black people which formed because the color line prevented them from joining white YMCA teams and other gyms. [1]

Track and field

In the early years, Salem-Crescent had success with its track and field team. [1] [7] Led by track captain Lionel LaBeet, the club won a point trophy at the Amateur Athletic Union games in 1912. [7] The club sent athletes to compete in international competitions including the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. [1]

Title holders from Salem-Crescent A.C. in the Amateur Champions of America included Roy F. Morse in the 220-yards run (1915). [3] [2] In the Junior Amateur Champions of America, Morse won the 100 yards run in 1915, while P. J. White won the 220 yards run in 1917. [2] In 1925, Cecil Cooke was the national winner in the Amateur Athletic Union 440-yard dash. [3]

Basketball

Salem Crescent Athletic Club competed against local teams such as the Alpha Physical Culture Club in the emerging sport of basketball. [1] It was a member of the Metropolitan Basketball Association, which coordinated amateur clubs in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Jersey City. [8]

Boxing

The boxing gym was located in the church's basement at 129th Street and 7th Avenue. [9] [10] Trainer George Gainford joined the Salem-Crescent as boxing coach in 1928. [11] [10] [12] The club had many successful boxers including Sugar Ray Robinson and Buddy Moore, who each won Golden Gloves championships at Madison Square Garden in 1939, and Canada Lee. [13] [14] Salem-Crescent was also where Harry Wiley started his career as a boxing trainer. [15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 McGruder, Kevin (2015). "5. AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH IN HARLEM". Race and Real Estate: Conflict and Cooperation in Harlem, 1890–1920. Columbia University Press. pp. 115, 133–134. ISBN   9780231169141.
  2. 1 2 3 Spalding's Official Athletic Almanac 1917. American Sports Publishing Co. pp. 67, 100–101. LCCN   02003740.
  3. 1 2 3 Ashe, Arthur (1993). A Hard Road to Glory–Track & Field: The African-American athlete in track & field. New York: Amistad. pp. 28, 63, 70. ISBN   1567430392.
  4. ↑ "GLOVES TEAM TITLE TO SALEM-CRESCENT; Harlem Club Scores 38 Points in Amateur Ring Tourney at Garden – C. Y. O. Second". The New York Times . February 17, 1948. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  5. ↑ Lane, James B. (2010). "Sweet Thunder". Magill's Literary Annual 2010. Literary Reference Plus – via EBSCOhost.
  6. ↑ Jordan, Margot (September 11, 2002). "Celebrating Harlem's heritage: Harlem Renaissance 5-Mile Classic". New York Amsterdam News . Retrieved February 8, 2026– via EBSCOhost.
  7. 1 2 Henderson, Edwin B.; Wilkinson, Garnet C., eds. (1912). Official Handbook: Interscholastic Athletic Association of Middle Atlantic States. New York: Anerican Sports Publishing Co. p. 93 – via Internet Archive.
  8. ↑ Anderson, Daniel (2017). The Culture of Sports in the Harlem Renaissance. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. p. 151. ISBN   9781476665184.
  9. ↑ Haygood, Wil (2009). Sweet Thunder. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 9. ISBN   9781400044979.
  10. 1 2 Hauser, Thomas (2010). Boxing is--: Reflections on the sweet science. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 4–5. ISBN   9781557289421.
  11. ↑ Kurman, Stan (March 21, 1940). "Where Young Champs Like Ray Robinson Come From". Daily Worker. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  12. ↑ Shropshire, Kenneth L. (2007). Being Sugar Ray: The life of Sugar Ray Robinson, America's greatest boxer and first celebrity athlete. BasicCivitas. pp. 32–33. ISBN   9780465078035.
  13. ↑ Pelisson, Gerard J. (2009). The castle on the parkway: The story of New York City's Dewitt Clinton High School and its extraordinary influence on American life. Scarsdale, New York: The Hutch Press. p. 318. ISBN   9781883269302.
  14. ↑ Smith, Mona Z. (2004). Becoming Something: The Story of Canada Lee. Faber and Faber. p. 25. ISBN   9780571211425.
  15. ↑ "Montclair's Trailblazers: A Black History Month Series". Montclair Local. February 1, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
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