Son of Black Fives Era Pioneer ‘Dolly’ King Shares Family Insights, Pride


William "Dolly" King at Long Island University, wearing a sweatshirt representing his college fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha.Courtesy of the Michael C. King Collection

William “Dolly” King at Long Island University, wearing a sweatshirt representing his college fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha. The photograph will appear in the upcoming Black Fives Exhibition at the New York Historical Society Museum & Library.(Courtesy of the Michael C. King Collection)

By Michael C. King, son of William “Dolly” King

This is a photograph of my father, William “Dolly” King, taken in 1939 while he was a student at Long Island University (LIU). When you look into his eyes you can see the determination to the game that made him a fierce competitor. This picture was before he filled into his 6’3” 218 pound frame.

The look never changed but the size did. I remember growing up seeing that look. He would use it to reprimand me and I would fall back in line with what I was supposed to be doing immediately. The sweatshirt represented his college fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha.

My dad left LIU in 1941, to join the New York Rens, an African American barnstorming team that had won the 1939 World Championship of Professional Basketball.

Below is another photograph, which shows my dad as a member of the Rochester Royals, a professional franchise in the National Basketball League, out of Rochester, New York. The eyes are still the focal point of the picture to me. He had also filled out as you can see.

William "Dolly" King with the Rochester Pros, 1945.

William “Dolly” King in 1945 with the Rochester Pros, a team that would become the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League in 1946. (Courtesy of the Michael C. King Collection)

My dad signed with the Royals in 1946. He was one of four black players the league signed that year. This team later moved to Cincinnati, then to Kansas City, where they changed their name to the Kings, and eventually moved to Sacramento where they became the Sacramento Kings of the NBA.

Both of these photographs remind me of a story a gentleman told me in 2013 about a professional basketball player my dad knew who had just had a career ending injury and was feeling low about his future.

My dad long, retired from both his playing and refereeing days, told this player that he should never think of basketball as defining his life but to use basketball to get the next gift that life had to offer.

As a son I am extremely proud of these words.

William "Dolly" King is the subject of a 1941 column by iconic sportswriter Jimmy Powers of the New York Daily News. (Courtesy of the Michael C. King Collection)

William “Dolly” King is the subject of a 1941 column by iconic sportswriter Jimmy Powers of the New York Daily News. (Courtesy of the Michael C. King Collection)

This last item is a newspaper column that appeared in the New York Daily News on January 29, 1941, written by that newspaper’s iconic long time sportswriter, Jimmy Powers.

Here again I am particularly proud that my dad held education high and made sure he finished school to obtain a better life for his family. I am drawn to the parts of this piece, which mention that no matter how much he was taunted, my dad never used his size unfairly against an opponent.

There are several personal sides to this column. First, in those days, the cadets at West Point were not allowed to play against my father because of his skin color. However, in 2004, my son, Dolly King’s grandson, graduated from West Point and had a successful career in the United States Army.

This piece also mentions my dad’s late brother, John B. King, who was a principal at PS 26 in Brooklyn. John went on to be the first African American Deputy Chancellor in the New York City Public Schools. His son, John, is currently the Commissioner of Education for the State of New York.

I am that sure my father and his brothers would be very proud of the accomplishments their family has put forth. If I may write for my family, we are all very appreciative of those who have set our tradition in motion. They have opened the doors and now the next generation of Kings will follow.

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Amy Bentley
1 year ago

Hello. Did Dolly King graduate L.I.U.? I understand he left school in 1941 to pursue a professional career in sports. I am affiliated with a historical society on Long Island. Dolly played for the L.I. Indians. Writing a short bio on Mr. King. Many thanks!

Admin
Reply to  Amy Bentley

We believe that he did, but we haven’t confirmed it with the school itself. Please let us know if you learn anything more about that, and best wishes!

Amy Bentley
1 year ago

Thanks for approving my query. I only ask because in his son Michael’s 2014 article (on your website) he says: “Here again I am particularly proud that my dad held education high and made sure he finished school to obtain a better life for his family.” It isn’t that important, really. His accomplishments far surpass a diploma, any day. I’ll follow up with L.I.U.

Admin
Reply to  Amy Bentley

Well, it’s not about whether he did or did not get a diploma, it’s about verifying either way. Following up as you are is good for historical tracking reasons to validate information, even if it’s just for a proper citation. Way too many people repeat whatever they hear, without checking it out themselves, or just make sh*t up.

Kate Schmidt
2 years ago

It thrills me that your son went to West Point, who turned Dolly away. It boggles the mind to imagine what Dolly could have accomplished were it not for systemic racism. I’m a volunteer with WikiTree’s US Black Heritage Project, and I’ve just started working on Dolly’s profile and genealogy. It would be an enormous honor if I could talk to you and bring some personal detail to the profile of a man who deserves a great biography. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/King-47660

Wayne King
8 years ago

Remember when I use to baby sit you? Was it in Cooper Union? Uncle “Dolly” was also Mr. Basketball 1951. Does anyone remember that?

Fred Baptiste
8 years ago

I was so happy to find this article. Both your father and uncle were initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha through my undergraduate chapter and they are definitely celebrated as part of our heritage too.

Blaise Lamphier
10 years ago

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I have been and admirer of Dolly King for many years and I am in the process of developing a very special (I certainly hope) book featuring both him and his teammate on many squads George “The Blind Bomber” Glamack. The photo above of Dolly in a Rochester uniform is from Janaury 1945, making it even rarer than most photos of his Rochester days and predating his historic season with the 1946-47 Rochester Royals by more than a year and a half. Les Harrison signed both Dolly and George Glamack mid-season when he was running the Rochester Pros in 1944-45. King had visited Rochester on several occasions with both the NY Rens and Washington Bears and was well known and popular to both Harrison and Rochester fans. The Pros became the Rochester Royals when they joined the NBL in 1945-46, and Dolly later rejoined the franchise when he was signed to an NBL contract by Harrison in the fall of 1946.

Michael King
10 years ago

My father and his brother John are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Brooklyn in a family plot.

10 years ago

Do we know the cemetery that Dolly King is buried, and his birth date, birthplace? Great article!

Admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Larry Lester

November 15, 1916–January 29, 1969 …