Sam Schoenfeld

Sam Schoenfeld was born in [Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York]on September 11th of 1906].[2] His parents Benjamin and Sarah were Austrian Jews.[3] Originally named "Schuster", they changed their name to "Schoenfeld" when they immigrated to America.[3] Benjamin was a kosher butcher. He died at age 37 in April 1913.[4] Sam was the youngest of three children.[4] He had an older sister, Jean ("Jenny"),[3] and an older brother, Herman.[4] Later, when Sarah remarried, she had another son, Jacob ("Jack").[5]

Schoenfeld showed early aptitude for sports and especially loved basketball, even from a very early age. He was a star player at Commercial High School, later known as Alexander Hamilton High School; it no longer exists.[6]

Commercial HS Star

He was named captain during his Junior year. They lost only 3 games during his 3 years of high school basketball.[2]

He attended the Savage College for Physical Education where he played basketball and was elected captain at the beginning of the 1927-28 season. During his time at Savage, the team had compiled an amazing record of 43 wins and only 2 losses His team had a run of 38 consecutive wins.[2]

Captain of Savage Basketball Team

[2]

While attending Columbia's Teachers College in Manhattan, NY, "Sammy", played forward on the varsity basketball team alongside Lou Bender and George Gregory.[1][7] Although mediocre his sophomore and junior year, by Schoenfeld's senior year with the addition of Lou Bender, the team won the Ivy League championship in 1930. It was the first coast to coast radio broadcast of a college basketball game over 45 stations nationwide. Columbia won the game. He and Bender were named first team All-Ivy League. He graduated in 1931.[7][2]

Columbia Lion's Hope

Columbia Wins Championship

In 1936 Sam began developing a prototype for the first full-size basketball stop-clock.[9] The clock was tested at Thomas Jefferson High School and The Brooklyn Jewish Center, where he was Athletic Director for 25 years.[2]

Schoenfeld was the co-founder and part owner of a coed sleepaway camp, called Camp Deerhead[11] in Hancock (town), New York which provided a multitude of athletic activities for the campers. It was one of the first camps that constructed a hotel for the parents of the campers.[2][12]

Camp Deerhead Partial Aerial View

Deerhead Guest House

Sleepaway - Memories of Deerhead

He was also a partner in the first Howard Johnson's restaurant in Brooklyn.[2][13]

Known for his character, "impeccable honesty", and integrity, Schoenfeld was honored by the CBOA when it designated an annual award in his name, beginning the year of his death in 1956.[14] "The Schoenfeld Sportsmanship Award is the highest honor that CBOA annually bestows on any collegiate institution."[14] The award has been henceforth given annually to the coach and college which best exemplify "the highest degree of sportsmanship, character, and ethics among its players, coaches, and spectators in the conduct of its intercollegiate basketball games."[14]

1st CBOA Award 1956

On September 24, 2009, Schoenfeld was posthumously inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame[15] in recognition of his contributions as a player to the game of basketball. He was qualified to be inducted in any of the 4 categories that they consider for induction (Player, Coach, Referee, & Contributor)[16]

In 2011 a 40min sports documentary was made depicting Sam Schoenfeld's professional career including his induction into the N.Y.C. Basketball Hall of Fame. "The Sam Schoenfeld Story." Sam Schoenfeld was a basketball wizard! He was one of the most outstanding basketball players of his generation, and was compared favorably to Nat Holman, who was considered the very best. He became one of the top high school basketball coaches in New York City history, and then went on to become one of the best college basketball officials as well. [17]

Play it Again Sam - Movie Poster

Play it Again Sam - Movie Showing

The film Premiered on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at The Huntington Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, Long Island. Attending the reception and discussion was the filmmaker, Matt Berkowitz, producer, Dr. Robert Schoenfeld (Sam’s Son) and Stan Friedland author.

Sam and his wife had three sons: Dr. Robert ("Bob"), Ed, and Peter.[18] After a battle with pancreatic cancer, Schoenfeld died March 2, 1956[9] at Long Island Jewish Hospital, New Hyde Park, New York].[2]

• Friedland, Stan (2004). Play It Again Sam: The Sam Schoenfeld Story. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 9781469106564. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
• Robert Schoenfeld M.D. (2020)