Salem Crescent Athletic Club

The Salem Crescent Athletic Club was a sports club for black athletes in Harlem in Upper Manhattan, New York City, United States.[1] It was established in 1911 by Reverend Frederick Asbury Cullen of the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church.[1] In the early years, the club had a strong track and field team affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union, with national winners in the 220-yard dash and 440-yard dash events in 1915 and 1925.[1][2][3] It later became known for its amateur boxing team, which produced boxers such as Sugar Ray Robinson, who won the Golden Gloves featherweight and lightweight championships in 1939 and 1940.[1][4][5] The club also had a basketball team and was a member of the Metropolitan Basketball Association.[1][6]

History

In 1911, Reverend Cullen started the Salem-Crescent Athletic Club by inviting neighborhood boys to use the Salem Methodist Church for their meetings and getting them involved in the church through sports and other community programs.[1] At the time, the church was located at 129 West 133rd Street.[1] It was one of many athletic clubs for black people which formed because the color line prevented them from joining white YMCA teams and other gyms.[1]

Track and field

In the early years, Salem-Crescent had success with its track and field team.[1][7] Led by track captain Lionel LaBeet, the club won a point trophy at the Amateur Athletic Union games in 1912.[7] The club sent athletes to compete in international competitions including the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.[1]

Title holders from Salem-Crescent A.C. in the Amateur Champions of America included Roy F. Morse in the 220-yards run (1915).[3][2] In the Junior Amateur Champions of America, Morse won the 100 yards run in 1915, while P. J. White won the 220 yards run in 1917.[2] In 1925, Cecil Cooke was the national winner in the Amateur Athletic Union 440-yard dash.[3]

Basketball

Salem Crescent Athletic Club competed against local teams such as the Alpha Physical Culture Club in the emerging sport of basketball.[1] It was a member of the Metropolitan Basketball Association, which coordinated amateur clubs in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Jersey City.[8]

Boxing

The boxing gym was located in the church's basement at 129th Street and 7th Avenue.[9][10] Trainer George Gainford joined the Salem-Crescent as boxing coach in 1928.[11][10][12] The club had many successful boxers including Sugar Ray Robinson and Buddy Moore, who each won Golden Gloves championships at Madison Square Garden in 1939, and Canada Lee.[13][14] Salem-Crescent was also where Harry Wiley started his career as a boxing trainer.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k McGruder, Kevin (2015). "5. AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH IN HARLEM". Race and Real Estate: Conflict and Cooperation in Harlem, 1890–1920. Columbia University Press. pp. 115, 133–134. ISBN 9780231169141.
  2. ^ a b c Spalding's Official Athletic Almanac 1917. American Sports Publishing Co. pp. 67, 100–101. LCCN 02003740.
  3. ^ a b c Ashe, Arthur (1993). A Hard Road to Glory–Track & Field: The African-American athlete in track & field. New York: Amistad. pp. 28, 63, 70. ISBN 1567430392.
  4. ^ "GLOVES TEAM TITLE TO SALEM-CRESCENT; Harlem Club Scores 38 Points in Amateur Ring Tourney at Garden – C. Y. O. Second". The New York Times. February 17, 1948. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  5. ^ Lane, James B. (2010). "Sweet Thunder". Magill's Literary Annual 2010. Literary Reference Plus – via EBSCOhost.
  6. ^ Jordan, Margot (September 11, 2002). "Celebrating Harlem's heritage: Harlem Renaissance 5-Mile Classic". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved February 8, 2026 – via EBSCOhost.
  7. ^ a b Henderson, Edwin B.; Wilkinson, Garnet C., eds. (1912). Official Handbook: Interscholastic Athletic Association of Middle Atlantic States. New York: Anerican Sports Publishing Co. p. 93 – via Internet Archive.
  8. ^ Anderson, Daniel (2017). The Culture of Sports in the Harlem Renaissance. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. p. 151. ISBN 9781476665184.
  9. ^ Haygood, Wil (2009). Sweet Thunder. Alfred A. Knopf. p. 9. ISBN 9781400044979.
  10. ^ a b Hauser, Thomas (2010). Boxing is--: Reflections on the sweet science. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 4–5. ISBN 9781557289421.
  11. ^ Kurman, Stan (March 21, 1940). "Where Young Champs Like Ray Robinson Come From". Daily Worker. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  12. ^ Shropshire, Kenneth L. (2007). Being Sugar Ray: The life of Sugar Ray Robinson, America's greatest boxer and first celebrity athlete. BasicCivitas. pp. 32–33. ISBN 9780465078035.
  13. ^ Pelisson, Gerard J. (2009). The castle on the parkway: The story of New York City's Dewitt Clinton High School and its extraordinary influence on American life. Scarsdale, New York: The Hutch Press. p. 318. ISBN 9781883269302.
  14. ^ Smith, Mona Z. (2004). Becoming Something: The Story of Canada Lee. Faber and Faber. p. 25. ISBN 9780571211425.
  15. ^ "Montclair's Trailblazers: A Black History Month Series". Montclair Local. February 1, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
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