[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 9, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       COMMEMORATING WALTER DUKES

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Walter Dukes and the 
1953 National Invitational Tournament champion Seton Hall University 
Pirates basketball team.
  Walter Dukes was Seton Hall's 7-foot, African-American center. He was 
the team's indisputable leader who pulled down 734 rebounds that year. 
It was an NCAA record that still stands.
  He and his team dealt with discrimination and violence for having a 
Black player on the team, but they continued to win and beat St. John's 
University, 58-46, to win the 1953 NIT title, which was the big 
tournament at the time.
  Dukes and his Seton Hall teammates are legends in New Jersey's 
basketball lore. Their magical season shows us the importance of 
character, faith, and success.
  As a longtime Seton Hall fan, going to Seton Hall games for 55 years, 
I am proud to highlight them on the floor today.

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