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Boston Athletic Association Indoor Games

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Boston Athletic Association Indoor Games
DateFebruary
LocationBoston, United States United States
Event typeIndoor track and field
Established1890
Last held1971
OrganizerBoston Athletic Association

The Boston Athletic Association Indoor Games were an indoor track meet organized by the Boston Athletic Association that was held annually in Boston from 1890 to 1971.

Early years

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The first Boston Athletic Association Indoor Games were held on February 15, 1890 at Mechanics Hall.[1] 701 athletes entered the games, a number that "exceed[ed] that at any indoor meeting known in the history of amateur athletics", according to the New York Times.[2] 4,000 spectators attended the games, which was described by the Times as a "society event".[3] Harvard scored the most points of any team. Winners of the first B.A.A. games were:[3][4]

Event Name Club
40-yard dash A. H. Green Harvard
880-yard run F. R. Peters Boston Athletic Association
220-yard run T. J. McNeil Trimount Athletic Club
Mile walk J. B. Keating Pastime Athletic Club
440-yard dash K. Brown Harvard
Mile run G. Collamore Harvard
220 yard hurdles J. C. Lally Pastime Athletic Club
High jump G. R. Fearing Jr. Harvard
Shot put (16 pounds) J. S. Mitchel New Jersey Athletic Club
Weight throw (56 pounds) G. Coughlan Tritan Athletic Club
Tug of war Pastime Athletic Club

In 1891, the B.A.A. Games were moved to the South Armory. The event was attended by a capacity crowd, including Governor William E. Russell and his staff. Once again, Harvard won the most events, capturing the 75-yard dash (S. V. R. Thayer Jr.), 1000-yard run (Arthur Blake), mile run (H. C. Larkin), high jump (G. R. Fearing), and quarter mile race (E. S. Mullin).[5] Fearing set the men's high jump indoor world record with a mark of 1.89.[6]

The event returned to Mechanics Hall in 1892, and Harvard once finished in first place, winning five of the twelve events. Edward Bloss, who competed for both Harvard and the B. A. A., set a world record in the 40 yard dash.[7] Michael Sweeney broke the world record for the indoor running high jump at the 1894 games, which also saw Bernard Doherty break the world record in the standing broad jump.[8]

The 1896 games saw two world-record holders compete. Thomas Conneff, who held the amateur record for the fastest mile, finished third in the mile handicap behind James N. Pringle of Dartmouth, who had a 70-yard start and Gerrish Newell of Harvard, who had a 60-yard start. Charles Kirkpatrick, who held the amateur record for the fastest mile, had his shorts come loose during a heat race and did not make it to the final race in the 600 yard run.[9]

In 1900, Dr. B. J. Mulligan of the Knickerbocker Athletic Club broke the world record in the triple jump by two inches.[10] In 1902, world champion sprinter Arthur Duffey was upset in the 40-yard dash by Harvard freshman Francis Scheuber.[11]

In 1912, Samuel Lawrence broke Michael Sweeney's 18-year old high jump indoor world record. Those games also saw three track records broken (George Bonhag in the three mile run, Oscar Hedlund in the mile invitational, and John Paul Jones in the mile handicap).[12]

In 1913, black sprinter Howard Drew announced he would not compete in the B. A. A. Games because the organization had drew a color line. George B. Billings, chairman of the Boston Athletic Association's athletic committee, stated that no such line existed and there were "other reasons" why Drew was not permitted to enter. He cited John Taylor and A. M. Bowser as black athletes who had previously competed in the games.[13]

At the 1915 games, the Boston Athletic Association team of Fred Burns, Stephen Rose, David Caldwell, and Thomas Halpin broke the world's record in the 4 × 1500 metres relay in a race against the New York Athletic Club.[14]

Move to Boston Arena

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In 1921, the Boston Athletic Association Indoor Games were moved from Mechanics Hall to the new Boston Arena.[15] That year's event featured many athletes from the previous year's Olympics, including Richmond Landon, Earl Thomson, Jackson Scholz, John Murphy, Frank Loomis, Earl Eby, and Loren Murchison.[16] Walter Camp refereed the schoolboy 50 yard sprint.[17] The event's feature race was the Hunter Cup mile race, which was won by the “Flying Parson” Harold Cutbill.[18]

In 1926, Norwegian Charles Hoff set the men's pole vault indoor world record at 13 ft 1 1⁄4 in.[19]

The 1929 B.A.A. Games saw the U.S. debut of Canadians Percy Williams and Jimmy Ball.[20] Williams, who was competing in his first ever indoor event, won the 40-yard dash invitational.[21]

The 1931 games were the first to have an event for women – an invitational 40-yard dash headlined by Stella Walsh.[22] Walsh and Mary Carew won the semifinal heat races and in the finale, Walsh defeated Carew by a stride.[23]

Two world records were broken during the 1932 B.A.A. Games. High jumper George Spitz set a world record with a mark of 6 feet 8 ½ inches and Leo Sexton broke the indoor shot put record at 51 feet, 11 ⅛ inches.[24]

Move to Boston Garden

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In 1933, the B.A.A. moved the games to the larger Boston Garden. According to Victor O. Jones of The Boston Globe, Boston Arena manager and B.A.A. member George V. Brown was reportedly happy with the move because the event did not bring much of a profit for the arena.[25] 10,000 spectators attended that year's games, which saw Emmett Toppino win the 50-yard dash, Joe McCluskey win the two miles, Bernie McCafferty win the 600 yard run, George Spitz win the high jump, Keith Brown win the pole vault, and Carl Coan win the feature mile race.[26]

The B.A.A. lost nearly 1,000 of its 1,600 members during the Great Depression.[27]After filing for bankruptcy, the Association closed its clubhouse on August 4, 1935, and sold its building's furnishings at auction later that year.[28][29] A group of former B.A.A. members formed the Unicorn Club to continue the indoor games and the Boston Marathon. On January 3, 1936, the Unicorn Club merged with the old B.A.A. and reorganized as a new Boston Athletic Association.[30] George V. Burns, a member of the Association's Governing Board and the manager of the Boston Garden, allowed the indoor games to be held at the Garden free of charge.[31]

The 1937 games saw three world records broken. George Varoff broke the men's pole vault indoor world record with mark of 14 ft 4 1⁄4 in, Sam Allen broke the record in the 45-yard high hurdles, and Don Lash broke the record for the two-mile indoor run.[32] Cornelius Warmerdam broke Varoff's record at the 1939 meet with a mark of 14 ft 6 in.[33] This record was broken again at the 1941 games, this time by Earle Meadows.[34] At the following year's event, Warmerdam broke the record again with a 15 ft 7 in vault.[35]

Jim Fuchs broke the indoor shot put record at the 1950 B.A.A. Games, which also featured a big upset in the two miles when Curt Stone beat Fred Wilt.[36][37]

In 1953, Mal Whitfield tied the indoor men's 600 yards world record with a time of 1:10.2.[38]

In the feature race of the 1955 games, Wes Santee broke the world record in the indoor mile with a time of 4:03.8.[39] The record was broken a week later by Gunnar Nielsen at the Wanamaker Mile.[40]

In 1957, Tom Courtney tied the men's 600 yards world record with a time of 1:09.5.[41] In 1959, Bill Dellinger set the two miles indoor record with a time of 8:49.9.[42] The following year, John Thomas tied his world high jump record of 7 feet 1 ½ inches.[43]

In 1964, Wendell Mottley set the world indoor record in the 440-yard dash with a time of 48 seconds.[44] In 1967, Willie Davenport tied the world record in the 45-yard hurdles. By this time, the B.A.A. games were the only meet to hold this event.[45]

End

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In 1970, the Knights of Columbus ended their annual Boston Garden track meet after 44 years due to financial issues. This left the B.A.A. Games as the last major track event in Boston, although, according to the New York Times they also appeared to "be in jeopardy".[46]

The 1971 B.A.A. Games saw an attendance of 9,008, down from 13,645 in 1960.[47] On November 5, 1971, B.A.A. president Will Cloney announced that the games would not take place in 1972 due to increased costs and low ticket sales.[48]

References

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  1. ^ Donovan, Wally (1976). A History of Indoor Track & Field. Edward Jules Company. p. 18.
  2. ^ "Going To Boston Games". The New York Times. February 12, 1890.
  3. ^ a b "Athletic Games in Boston". The New York Times. February 16, 1890.
  4. ^ "Sporting News". Boston Evening Transcript. February 17, 1890. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  5. ^ "A Thorn In Boston's Side: Athletes Who Will Not Pay Their Own Expenses". The New York Times. February 16, 1891.
  6. ^ "Doha 2010 Statistics Handbook - Part two" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2010. pp. Pages 256, 260–1. Archived from the original (pdf) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  7. ^ "Close Finishes: Annual Handicap Indoor Games of the B. A. A.". The Boston Globe. February 14, 1892.
  8. ^ "New-York Boys Beaten". The New York Times. February 12, 1894.
  9. ^ "Stalwart Athletes: Grand Contest in Handicap Games at B. A. A. Indoor Meeting". The Boston Globe. February 9, 1896.
  10. ^ "Indoor Athletics at Boston". The New York Times. February 4, 1900.
  11. ^ Buckley, Eugene (February 9, 1902). "Sprint King is Beaten". The Boston Globe.
  12. ^ "Four Records Are Bettered". The Boston Globe. February 11, 1912.
  13. ^ "Drew to Keep Out of Games". The Boston Globe. January 23, 1913.
  14. ^ "New World Record In Boston A. A. Meet". The New York Times. February 7, 1915.
  15. ^ "Boston A.A. Annual Games". The New York Times. December 19, 1920.
  16. ^ "Pick of East's Athletes At Arena Saturday". The Boston Globe. January 30, 1921.
  17. ^ Hallahan, John (February 5, 1921). "Camp to Referee, Big Crowd Certain". The Boston Globe.
  18. ^ "Cutbill Winner In Hunter Mile Race". The New York Times. February 6, 1921.
  19. ^ Hallahan, John (February 7, 1926). "Hoff Sets Aside Own Indoor Vault Mark". The Boston Globe.
  20. ^ "Williams To Make U.S. Debut Tonight". The New York Times. February 2, 1929.
  21. ^ Daley, Arthur J. (February 3, 1929). "Williams Is Victor in Boston A.A. Meet". The New York Times.
  22. ^ "Fair Sex Finally Crashes B. A. A. Gate". The Boston Globe. February 2, 1931.
  23. ^ Egan, David (February 15, 1931). "Fast Two-Mile Race Thrills B.A.A. Fans". The Boston Globe.
  24. ^ "World's Mark Set By Spitz In Jump". The New York Times. February 14, 1932.
  25. ^ Jones, Victor (January 7, 1933). "B. A. A. Meet Plans Are Announced". The Boston Globe.
  26. ^ "10,000 See Coan Take Hunter Mile". The New York Times. February 12, 1933.
  27. ^ "B. A. A. Seeking Reorganization". The Boston Globe. May 11, 1935.
  28. ^ "B. A. A. Closes Doors Tonight". The Boston Globe. August 3, 1935.
  29. ^ Nason, Jerry (November 7, 1935). "Strip the B. A. A. Under Hammer". The Boston Globe.
  30. ^ "Clarence Barnes Elected President of Boston A. A. at Reorganization Meeting". The Boston Globe. January 4, 1936.
  31. ^ Hanc, John (2013). The Official History of the Boston Athletic Association, 1887-2012. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1613211984.
  32. ^ Nason, Jerry (February 14, 1937). "Three World Records Tumble In B. A. A. Meet". The Boston Globe.
  33. ^ Nason, Jerry (February 13, 1939). "Pole Vaulter Who Set World Indoor Mark in B. A. A. Games Unanimous Choice For Hallahan Trophy". The Boston Globe.
  34. ^ Nason, Jerry (February 10, 1941). "Hallahan Trophy Voted Meadows: Record-breaking Pole Vault Gives Earle Wide Margin". The Boston Globe.
  35. ^ Effrat, Louis (February 15, 1942). "Warmerdam Tops 15 Feet 7 1/4 Inches, New World Mark". The New York Times.
  36. ^ Sheehan, Joseph (February 5, 1950). "Stone Beats Wilt In Two-Mile Upset At Boston In 8:55.1". The New York Times.
  37. ^ Nason, Jerry (February 5, 1950). "Jim Fuchs Unloads Epic Heave in B.A.A. Shot Put". The Boston Globe.
  38. ^ Sheehan, Joseph (February 1, 1953). "Whitfield Equals World 600 Record of 1:10.2 Indoors". The New York Times.
  39. ^ Sheehan, Joseph (January 30, 1955). "Santee Runs 4:03.8 For World Mark In Mile At Boston". The New York Times.
  40. ^ Sheehan, Joseph (February 6, 1955). "Nielsen Betters Record For Mile With 4:03.6 Here". The New York Times.
  41. ^ Sheehan, Joseph (February 3, 1957). "Courtney Equals World 600 Mark in Boston Games". The New York Times.
  42. ^ "Dellinger Clips Two-Mile Mark With 8:49.9 Run". The New York Times. February 8, 1959.
  43. ^ Sheehan, Joseph (February 7, 1960). "Thomas Achieves 7-FT, 1-IN, Jump, Tying His Record". The New York Times.
  44. ^ Litsky, Frank (February 2, 1964). "Mottley Breaks 440 Indoor Mark". The New York Times.
  45. ^ Litsky, Frank (January 10, 1967). "3 World Marks Set and 2 Tied In 3 U.S. Indoor Track Meets". The New York Times.
  46. ^ "Dwindling Attendance Puts End to Boston K. of C. Meet". The New York Times. July 2, 1970.
  47. ^ Nason, Jerry (February 10, 1974). "Cloney sees no comeback for late, lamented BAA". The Boston Globe.
  48. ^ "Two Major Track Meets Are Abandoned for 1972". The New York Times. November 6, 1971.
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