[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 97 (Monday, July 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H5351-H5352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO FRED ZOLLNER, NBA PIONEER
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great
Hoosier from Fort Wayne, the late Fred Zollner, who was just selected
for the Basketball Hall of Fame. Too often we forget our history.
Fred Zollner moved the Zollner Pistons Company from Duluth,
Minnesota, in 1931 to the east side of Fort Wayne. During the 1930s the
piston plant doubled in size, aided by hefty government military
contracts because of war preparations.
Sports Illustrated described Zollner this way:
``He is short and stocky, a dapper man sporting peak lapels, a silk
shirt, a constant tan, and an unruly coiffure that suggests he is about
to mount a podium and conduct Beethoven's Ninth. He is the sort who
would not harm a fly. Rather than swat one, he would catch a cold
holding the door open until the fly got ready to leave.''
In 1938, Mr. Zollner had formed a company softball team for a local
industrial league. In 1945, the Pistons instigated the National
Softball League, which they hoped would open the way to major league
softball. They won multiple national championships. Players were
celebrities. By the late 1950's as I was growing up, softball was no
longer as significant, but I remember my dad talking about Leo Luken
and Bernie Kampschmidt as if they were Nellie Fox and Ernie Banks, my
baseball heroes.
After having success in softball, in 1939 Zollner fielded a team in a
Chicago industrial league tournament and never looked back. The Fort
Wayne Zollner Pistons, now known as the Detroit Pistons, were not Fort
Wayne's first pro basketball team. The Fort Wayne Knights of Columbus,
the Caseys, and the Fort Wayne Hoosiers were. And the Fort Wayne
General Electrics played in the NBL, the National Basketball League, in
1937. The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons left Fort Wayne at the end of 1957
but continue today as the Detroit Pistons.
There were many eventful years in Fort Wayne. For most of the Fort
Wayne era, the Pistons played at the North Side High School gym. The
enthusiastic fans and confined quarters gave the Pistons a significant
homecourt advantage. Minneapolis Lakers' star Slater Martin was quoted
on the courtside seating at North Side: ``I never really saw the fans
get physical with the players. But I did have them pull the hair on my
legs.''
Fred Zollner was a key in keeping the National Basketball League
solvent. Carl Bennett, whose personal history with the Pistons is so
intertwined with Zollner as to be inseparable, said that Zollner never
wanted anyone to know how he kept the league--and pro basketball--
alive.
He was constantly upgrading his team which eventually led to repeat
national titles. The Zollner Pistons were multiple times national
champions. Two of their famous players were ``Mr. Basketball,'' Bobby
McDermott, who had long set shots from past half-court; and Paul
``Curly'' Armstrong from Fort Wayne. These are some of the late 1940s
cards that I have in my collection.
They were also responsible for the invention of the 24-second clock,
because George Mikan, who was not only a giant at 6'10'' but a talented
athlete as well, had this huge height advantage. They tried a different
way to win. In Minneapolis, as the crowd hollered, they stalled. It
remains, and always will, as the lowest scoring game in NBA history,
19-18. But the Zollner Pistons won and the league said this will never
happen again.
Fred Zollner, along with Carl Bennett, met then with the people from
the BAA in Fort Wayne and merged the leagues which then became the NBA
from the leagues in Fort Wayne.
Fred Zollner's vision for Fort Wayne was for the Fort Wayne Zollner
Pistons to be to the NBA what Green Bay was to professional football.
But, alas, that was not to be. Fort Wayne was just too small.
He saw the writing on the wall in the mid 1950s, but the final event
was when they made the national championship, the NBA playoffs, but the
Fort Wayne Coliseum had booked the national bowling tournament so the
Pistons were booted out of the auditorium and had to play their games
in Indianapolis. The next year they moved to Detroit.
To quote a couple of the long-term people associated with this, Carl
Bennett, who crusaded to get Fred Zollner into the Basketball Hall of
Fame, said: ``If somebody would have asked me when I was a kid what I
wanted to do with my career, I would have told them exactly what I did
for Fred Zollner's organization. It was fun and extremely rewarding.''
There are two books out. Indiana had three of the original members of
the NBA. ``Pioneers of the Hardwood'' refers to that. The other is the
Zollner Piston Story by Roger Nelson.
George Yardley, a Hall of Famer, said about Fort Wayne:
``My wife and I didn't know what to expect when we got to Fort Wayne.
We had never seen snow before. Major league sports to Fort Wayne was
the Pistons. They were great basketball fans. But more importantly,
they were great people. They wanted you to know that Fort Wayne was a
great place to live, and they did everything they could to illustrate
that to you. To this day I believe that Fort Wayne has some of the
coldest weather and warmest people in the country.''
In Fort Wayne we no longer have the Pistons basketball team, but we
do have nearly 1,000 Zollner Pistons jobs that are part of the backbone
of our community. We have the pride of having been there in the early
days of the NBA, the first meetings occurring in Fort Wayne, and now
having one of our community leaders being honored by his selection into
the Basketball Hall of Fame. And we still have some of the coldest
weather and the warmest people in America.
I rise today to pay tribute to a great Hoosier from Fort Wayne, the
last Fred Zollner, who was just selected for the Basketball Hall of
Fame. Too often we forget our history.
Fred Zollner moved Zollner Pistons from Duluth, Minnesota in 1931 to
the east side of Fort Wayne. During the 1930s the piston plant doubled
in size, aided by hefty government military contracts because of war
preparations.
Sports Illustrated described Zollner this way:
``He is short and stocky, a dapper man sporting peak lapels, a silk
shirt, a constant tan, and an unruly coiffure that suggests he is about
to mount a podium and conduct Beethoven's Ninth. He is the sort who
would not harm a fly. Rather than swat one, he would catch a cold
holding the door open until the fly got ready to leave.''
Holiday magazine said: ``Zollner is a soft-voiced, curly-headed
manufacturer, a friendly man with a taste for expensive, striped suits,
and the engaging knack of making them look as if he'd worn them to
bed.''
In 1938 Mr. Zollner had formed a company softball team for a local
industrial league. In 1945 the Pistons instigated the National Softball
League, which they hoped would open the
[[Page H5352]]
way to major league softball. They won multiple national championships.
Players were celebrities. By the late 50s, as I was growing up,
softball was no longer as significant but I remember my father talking
about Leo Luken and Bernie Kampschmidt as if they were Nellie Fox and
Ernie Banks, my baseball heroes.
After having success in softball, in 1939 Zollner fielded a team in a
Chicago industrial league tournament and never looked back. The Fort
Wayne Zollner Pistons were not Fort Wayne's first pro basketball team--
the Fort Wayne Knights of Columbus (the Caseys) and the Fort Wayne
Hoosiers were. And the Fort Wayne General Electrics played in the NBL
(National Basketball League) in 1937. The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
left Fort Wayne at the end of 1957 but continue today as the Detroit
Pistons.
There were many eventful years in Fort Wayne.
For most of the Fort Wayne era, the Pistons played at the North Side
High School gym. The enthusiastic fans and confined quarters gave the
Pistons a significant homecourt advantage. Minneapolis Laker's star
Slater Martin was quoted on the courtside seating at North Side: ``I
never really saw the fans get physical with the players. I had them
pull the hair on my legs through.''
Fred Zollner was key in keeping the NBL (National Basketball League)
solvent. He gave direct financial aid to other teams, he purchased
players for cash to help keep teams afloat, and did other things to
keep the league going. Carl Bennett who's personal history with the
Pistons is so intertwined with Zollner as to be inseparable said that
Zollner never wanted anyone to know how he helped the league--and pro
basketball--alive.
Zollner treated his players well, being known throughout the league
as a generous owner. He was the first owner to purchase a plane for the
team. He did this even though he did not like to fly. It gave the
Pistons such an advantage--players weren't as tired from traveling--
that the league re-configured its schedule to the disadvantage of Fort
Wayne.
Zollner was constantly upgrading his team--which eventually led to
repeat national titles. The nation knew he was serious when he signed
``Mr. Basketball''--Bobby McDermott of the New York Celtics, then the
most famous player in all of basketball famous for the towering two-
hand set-shots typically from half-court--or beyond. Paul ``Curly''
Armstrong was another favorite.
The Zollner Pistons were also responsible for the 24-second shot
clock. When George Mikan, who was not only a giant of his day at 6'10''
but a talented athlete as well, changed the nature of basketball with
his huge height advantage, the Pistons decided to try a different way
to win. In Minneapolis, as the crowd hollered, they stalled. It
remains--and always will--as the lowest scoring game in NBA basketball
history. 19-18. But the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons won. But the league
said never again.
Fred Zollner, coordinated by his able basketball specialist Carl
Bennett, was key in creating the NBA as we know it today. The NBL and
the BAA (Basketball Association of America) were competing for players
in a market in which few were able to make money. The BAA had
franchises in big cities with big arenas (Madison Square Garden for
example) but few fans and not the best players. The NBL was a mixed bag
but had four very strong teams--the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, the
Rochester Royals (later moved to Cincinnati in Hoosier Oscar Robertson
days), George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers (now the Los Angeles Lakers--
ever wonder where the lake was in LA?), and the Indianapolis Krautskys
(named after local grocery store owner Frank Krautsky). These teams
actually dominated the NBA for most of its first years.
Maurice Podoloff, the Commissioner of the BAA, came to Fort Wayne to
Carl Bennett's home. After preliminary discussions, they were joined
the next day by Fred Zollner and then the Indianapolis Krautsky's
owners in Fort Wayne. The agreement to pull the four teams from the NBL
and join with the BAA was the start of the NBA. Additional changes
occurred over the next few years but the core remains until today.
The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons brought many thrills to northeast
Indiana, including one of the early NBA All-Star games which features
such stars as George Mikan (whose 1948 basketball card is the most
valuable of all time), Bob Cousy and Dolph Schayes. The then brand new
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was a showpiece arena, packed to the
ceiling with over 10,000 fans. Over 8,000 came to see the Zollner
Pistons defeat the Boston Celtics, during Bill Russell's first visit
there.
Fred Zollner's vision for Fort Wayne was for the Fort Wayne Zollner
Pistons to be to the NBA what Green Bay was to professional football.
But, alas, it was not to be. New York, Chicago, Boston and other cities
had millions of people to draw from whereas Fort Wayne had less than
200,000. But Fred Zollner not only brought big-time basketball to a
smaller size city, but he was instrumental in the founding of the NBA
and much of its development.
Zollner saw the writing on the wall in the mid-fifties. He knew that
the big-city teams weren't thrilled to come to Fort Wayne. What may
have finally pushed him over the edge, according to long-time sports
broadcaster and Fort Wayne civic leader Hilliard Gates, was a situation
that developed in 1955. Fred Zollner wanted badly to win an NBA
championship. The Zollner Pistons made it to the finals. But the Fort
Wayne Coliseum had booked the national bowling tournament so the
Pistons were booted out of Fort Wayne for the NBA finals. Now bowling
was big in Indiana--bowling still is very popular in Indiana--but it
probably wasn't the wisest move. The Fort Wayne Pistons lost four games
to three, so the record should show that they did win all the games
played in Indianapolis.
Dick Rosenthal, who played as a Piston and later was the University
of Notre Dame's athletic director, said about Fred Zollner: ``He was a
man of vision. Fred nurtured professional basketball from a very iffy
proposition to a major business venture. He embodied the soul of the
organization and the league. Professional basketball had come a long
way. The game owes a great deal to the pioneer spirit of an owner like
Fred Zollner.''
Carl Bennett, who crusaded to get Fred Zollner into the Hall of Fame,
and who for most of the years of the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons did
most everything from coaching to managing to player personnel
decisions, said: ``If somebody would have asked me when I was a kid
what I wanted to do with my career, I would have told them exactly what
I did for Fred Zollner's organization. It was fun and extremely
rewarding.''
For basketball buffs, there are two books that most of this special
order was based upon. Rodger Nelson has written the Zollner Piston
Story, covering both the basketball and softball teams. Todd Gould has
written a book titled Pioneers of the Hardwood, about not only the
Pistons but other early pro Indiana basketball teams as well. Indiana,
in the second year of the merged leagues, had 3--three--of the NBA
teams.
Let me close with several quotes from the Pioneers of the Hardwood,
from former Fort Wayne Zollner Piston basketball stars.
Frank Brian: ``Whenever I hear the song `Back Home Again in Indiana'
I get real nostalgic, because Indiana was like a second home to me. The
fans were so congenial and really loved their basketball. Basketball
was its own special culture there. When anybody ever asks me about the
fans in Indiana, there's only one word I can say--unbelievable. Yes,
sir, unbelievable. It was great.''
Hall-of-Famer George Yardley, the first Piston and the first NBA
player in history to score 2000 points in a season, said, ``If it's
wintertime, and it's Indiana, it must mean basketball. The fans there
were really wonderful. I loved it, truly loved it. It was the greatest
experience in the world.''
Yardley, a California boy and Stanford grad, also said about Fort
Wayne: ``My wife and I didn't know what to expect when we got to Fort
Wayne. We had never seen snow before. Major league sports to Fort Wayne
was the Pistons. They were great basketball fans. But more importantly,
they were great people. They wanted you to know that Fort Wayne was a
great place to live, and they did everything they could to illustrate
that to you. To this day I believe that Fort Wayne has some of the
coldest weather and warmest people in the country.''
In Fort Wayne we no longer have the Pistons basketball team. We still
have nearly 1000 Zollner Pistons jobs that are part of the backbone of
our community. We have the pride of having been there in the early days
of the NBA and now having one of our community leaders being honored by
his selection into the Basketball Hall of Fame. And we still have some
of the coldest weather and warmest people in the country.
____________________