My Visit With George Crowe, The Last Living Harlem Rens Player


Part 4 of a multi-part series on George Crowe, the last living New York (Harlem) Rens player.

::

Claude Johnson with George Crowe

George Crowe, 88-year-old former New York Rens player, at his residence last week with Claude Johnson.

In Part 3 of this series, George Crowe was at Fort Hood and headed overseas for World War II military combat duty.

I was in California for a few days last week, visiting with George Crowe, the last living former player with the New York Renaissance all-black professional basketball team of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.

Crowe was and is, of course, a lot more than that.

You may recall that I’m in the middle of my multi-part series of articles about Crowe.  He’s a man who I wrote seems to have lived a life always “in the right place at the right time.”

But, these days he’s in an elderly care facility — a nursing home.  I wondered to myself, in the presence of this most amazing man who doesn’t even appear to be close to 88 years old, how could this be the right place at the right time?

Then something dawned on me.

“Everyone is always in the right place at the right time, aren’t they?”

“Yes, that’s right,” said Crowe, looking into my eyes, a man of few words.

I guess many people never realize this truth, but it seems to me that Crowe has.  Seems to me that he’s always known this truth, and that this “knowing” was a key ingredient of his success in sports.

I think there’s still a lot we can learn from “old” George Crowe.

::

Stay tuned for Part 5 of this series on George Crowe, the last living New York (Harlem) Rens player.

0 0 votes
Rating
Subscribe
Notify of

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

18 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

[…] last and only time I had the honor of meeting him in person, in late 2009, Crowe could still get around on his own. We had a memorable discussion that […]

M. Moore
14 years ago

Great series about George Crowe!! He is not just important to blackfives history, but his life is significant for black and American history in general. Claude, the information you gave us about his ordeal in the military during WWII, having to deal with segregation and a racist army officer is invaluable.

As usual Claude, you have found another living historical legend, linking the past to the present in a very tangible way, showing that history is alive, not just a bunch of words and factoids, but living and breathing.

thanx

Mark

14 years ago

In the right place, at the right time.

The comings and goings of human beings always amazes me, as Mr. Crowe begins a journey that all of us travel. He stands in the right place however wistful we feel about his past and present. He reminds us the right time is the moment in which we find ourselves moving forward carrying within us all the sum total of all our lives; who we were, who we are now and who we will become.

Thank you, George Crowe, for your contribution to our legacy.

Amy
14 years ago

Thanks Claude=

Knowledge and education are everwhere.
Namaste

Amy

carj campbell
14 years ago

what know claude–this is really great such a icon as george crowe is wonderful to know he is still with us the last of a truly wonderful basketball team-right place right time-set a pick for george god bless..cc in the house

14 years ago

Hey Claude, Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful story. I loved what was said about being at the right place at the right time; our destiny.. Blessings and Hugs to George too. Brandi

Elizabeth
14 years ago

Hi Claude,

I so wish that this could be a traveling exhibit. I wonder if SITES (Smithsonian Traveling Exhibits) would be interested.

Elizabeth

Charles
14 years ago

Thank you for incorporating the legacy of the multiple sport athletes in your blogs. The George Crowe’s, Jackie Robinson’s and Goose Tatum’s are just a few of the great men who paved the way for today’s athletes. Please continue to share your knowledge because in order to understand your future, you must understand your past.

Keep up the great work.

14 years ago

Always amazing how these pioneers did so much with so little and leave us a legacy larger than life.

Zachary C. Husser
14 years ago

Mr. Johnson,

Once again, your article series on George Crowe, his birthday, you interviewing him in California, he being in the Senior home, and the conversation between the two of you was being in the right place at the right time! Your article, Mr. Crowe’s knowledge nuggets to those of us coming up the ladder of age and reason was legendary comment at it’s best.

I’m not amazed anymore by the continued excellence of your research, the parallel meanings that you use today’s activities to give advice to our youth, and the look into how Icons like George Crowe and John Isaacs were doing in their present life. Your mixture of all of the life and times of the folks and places you write about keeps me coming back, keeps me recommending your website, and keeps me obtaining life knowledge via stories about personalities and places from Black History as well as other educational moments. I’ll be checking you out and I salute you for making us think as well as do more research to keep up with a true understanding of what you do.

In the interest of teaching and learning from the past and present so we can develop the future for maximum benefit,

Brother Zachary C. Husser, Community Organizer

CORNY
14 years ago

To the George Crowe support team:

Just finished lunch with George and had not seen this yet. Will take copy to him on next visit. He is in a good home for care and was able to take a walk today which he and his providers are proud of…looks a little better today than picture when you visited.

It is very hard being such a great athlete and contributor to peaceful change to be resigned to limited capability and that is internally hard on him. but he is quietly accepting his place in time.

Claude. Thank you for making the effort to be there. I noticed your phone number note but failed to ask if you had been there.

I try to visit weekly and enjoy a Fat Tire beer and fresh baked bread with him…we can’t do the Cask 16 Crown Royal anymore but Fat Tire is his new favorite.

I will bring him your post’s on my next visit so if you have any message to send to him please post. Please place yourself in time and his memory and just the name my not be enough.

Prayers and positive thoughts and memories are a good idea and always welcome.

Close friend of George Crowe
Corny

Charles
14 years ago

Dear Claude,

I love you and the your persistent quickening of “The Black Fives” past, present, and future storytelling connections, best told in George Crowe’s eye-to-eye comment … “Yes, that’s right!”

This, … “being in the right place at the right time” … is, of course, clearly useful on the basketball court, … but equally so everywhere else, and at all times. But, how do you do that?

Claude, a few of your readers might share their words of wisdom on the challenge of “knowing” how to be “in the right place at the right time.”

What guidance can you offer our youth in the quest for “being in the right place at the right time” as a legacy of “The Black Fives?”

Keep the faith,

DAD

Keith Ellis
14 years ago

Go, George, go! How many states besides Indiana can brag of having picked a personage as historic as Big George Crowe to’ve been their first Mr BasketBall? In 1939 Crowe strode atop the basketball world where March Madness aka Hoosier Hysteria, Final Fours and Sweet Sixteens were invented.

You go, too, Claude! Outtasight subject for veneration! What common link do Ray and George Crowe enjoy with David DeJernett and the Big O’s brother Bailey Robertson, besides pioneering the development of black basketball in the USA?

Keith Ellis
14 years ago

Yes, just as Wendell Phillips High is rightly remembered for massive contributions to Illinois basketball, George Crowe’s Indiana Central College (now known as the University of Indianapolis) is honored to have blessed the MidWest with our first great integrated collegiate clubs.

I’ll never get over Crowe smashing 31 home runs in a season. Basketball players are known for pitching more often than power-hitting. Big George dinged one off sometime Celtic/Brave Gene Conley and several more off Dodger Dons Newcombe and Drysdale. He has to have more career HRs than any other pro bkb vet, right?

Nikki Graves Henderson
14 years ago

Mr. Crowe’s story is an important link in the black fives chain. . . Claude, your passion and persistence is what puts the magic in the words. Thanks for being the one who always makes the time to capture the stories that we would all regret not making time to document. History that would continue to be lost and if not for you. . . I am proud to be on the court with you. . . all 5 feet 2 inches of me! Thanks

Ben Prestbury
14 years ago

Interesting that I sholud get this now. I have just finished writing a play that is set in the new Savoy Ballroom. The Zora Neale Hurston character mentions here memories of the Renaissance Ballroom during the time of the Harlem renaissance when the Rens played there. She speaks to the team as being the first pro Black basketball team and their boss “The Godfather of Black Basketball”, Robert “Bob” Douglas.
In my research about Zora, I learned a bit about the team that Mr. Crowe played for.