1953–54 Volume 78 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

A NIGHT FOR laiNiE
Ernie Vandeweghe, Colgate '49, was honored on
March 8 as he completed his fourth season with
the New York Knickerbockers pro basketball team.
He is pictured shaking hands with Colgate Coach
Karl Lawrence (left), and Knicks' Coach Joe Lapchick
(right) at Madison Square Garden ceremony.
Great Phi Basketball
Star Is Honored
By WILLIAM M. URQUHART,
Washington '14
ONE night late last Spring more than
fifteen thousand basketball fans from
New York City and neighboring Long Island
jammed their way into Madison
Square Garden in honor of—and as a tribute
to—Ernest Maurice Vandeweghe, Jr.,
Colgate '49, and to see a professional basketball
game between the New York Knickerbockers
and the Boston Celtics. The gathering
included a large number of alumni
from Ernie's Alma Mater, hundreds of
friends and neighbors from his home community
of Oceanside, Long Island, his coach
during a great four-year basketball career
at Colgate—Karl Lawrence, plus additional
thousands of his admirers and well-wishers.
All this added up to "Ernie Vandeweghe
Night" at the Garden.
The special ceremonies honoring Brother
Vandeweghe took about half an hour and
were a large factor in bringing out this great
crowd, for Ernie's friends and admirers in
the Greater New York area are legion. He
received an avalanche of gifts, citations, as
well as many kind words from his teammates
&nd former Coach Lawrence. Climax
of the ceremonies was a rather emotional
scene when Joe Lapchick, his coach on the
Knickerbockers for the last four years,
walked over to give Ernie a congratulatory
handshake, and wound up with a fatherly
arm around his shoulder and tears streaming
down his cheeks.
The occasion further emphasized the fact
that Ernie Vandeweghe is an idealized
young man who has the admiration, respect,
and affection of all who know him, and who
has always given a fine account of himself
ERNIE VANDEWEGHE, Colgate '49
LEFT: In uniform of N. Y. Knickerbockers, CENTER: With sweetheart (now wife) on "busman's holiday"
watching pro game, RIGHT: Ernie gets off hook shot against College All-Stars in 7952.
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