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Edwards at Kentucky

Leroy Edwards has stirred the imagination of a number of people through the years. Many who have studied the history of basketball have concluded that Edwards was an important player in the early history and development of basketball in the 1930's and early 1940's prior to the formation of the NBA. Yet, somehow, Edwards has to date been overlooked by the Basketball Hall of Fame committee.

"(Pop) Gates believed that several players of that era deserve Hall of Fame consideration: Sonny Boswell of the Globetrotters, John Isaacs of the Renaissance, Leroy Edwards, Bob Calihan and Buddy Jeannette." - (from "Pop Gates Earned His Grits," by Dave Anderson, New York Times, February 19, 1989.)

Part of the problem with Edwards is that as Adolph Rupp once referred to him, he was "unconventional". Edwards was a free spirit during a time period when having such a personality often wasn't appreciated within society. He was not a serious student and did the unheard of when he left college with two years of eligibility remaining, something which was not a generally accepted practice until at least 50 years later. Another thing some held against Edwards later in life was that he owned and operated a tavern in Oshkosh, even when he was a player. [The original location was located at the corner of South Park and Oregon, but in 1947 relocated to 15 Main Street 'near the bridge'.]

These strikes against Edwards, however, are more a reflection of the times that he lived in rather than a reflection of him as a person or a basketball player. It would be laughable to use such criteria against any modern player, yet they have likely served to keep Edwards from entering the Hall in the past. This, and more likely a general indifference among Hall of Fame members towards pre-NBA players in general has kept Edwards' induction held in purgatory for decades.

A number of persons have tried to nominate Edwards in the past, most notably Bob Stevenson of the Marshfield News-Herald , Myles Strasser of the (Oshkosh) Daily Northwestern, and UK Memorabilia Collector Jack Maiden. Below are some of the letters and correspondance among these people, along with correspondance with the Hall of Fame.

Letters

Article by Myles Strasser about Edwards and the hopes for a nomination (1979) - "Lefty Edwards played for Adolph Rupp at the University of Kentucky and then for Lonnie Darling and the Oshkosh All Stars during the caveman days of professional basketball. Back in the 1930s and '40s he was the main man, the guy who hammered George Mikan into frustration, the guy who led the National Basketball League in scoring for three consecutive seasons, the guy who was the first to score 30 points in a professional game. The list could go on. . . I found out all of these things while doing research for my series on the Oshkosh All Stars last year. No, I never saw Lefty play, but he had to be great. No, that's an understatement. His flamboyant on-court and off-court life made him a superstar in the days when that word wasn't even used. . . I'll never argue with the old-timers about Lefty. He may have driven a Conestoga wagon instead of a Corvette, but he got there just as quickly."

Letter (Part One and Two) from Bob Stevenson to Myles Strasser (1980)

Letter (Part One and Two) from Bob Stevenson to former UK Basketball Coach Joe B. Hall (1986) - "[George] Mikan, in fact, has told me personally, that Edwards may have been the greatest center he played against, this despite the fact that Mikan had a 6-inch heigh advantage, and Edwards was nearing the twilight of his career. . . I have talked to people from Indiana (some years ago) who stated that Edwards may have been the greatest player ever to come out of Indiana. I admit that in the light of the accomplishments of Oscar and Bird and maybe a few others, they might want to revise their estimates. . . Edwards, I think, should be in the Springfield Hall of Fame not only for his accomplishments on the court, but because he was the one mainly responsible for the three-second rule, and the fact that he was the Dizzy Dean of professional basketball. The stories about him are legend."

Submission

Letter (Part One and Two) from Bob Stevenson to the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee
Letter (Part One and Two) from Jack Maiden to the Basketball Hall of Fame 'Old-Timers' Committee
Letter (Part One and Two) from Jack Maiden to the Basketball Hall of Fame Screening Committee - "I'm sure that Lefty could not be inducted on his college exploits, but when you combine his high school, college and professional feats together, then I honestly believe that there is no player of his era ('35/'48) that deserves induction as does Mr. 'Lefty' Edwards." . . . The only conclusion that can be drawn about 'Lefty', 'Cowboy' Edwards, is that for his time he was 'Mr. Basketball'."

Application

Hall of Fame

Official Nomination Form - Page 1
Official Nomination Form - Page 2
Official Nomination Form - Page 3
Official Nomination Form - Page 4

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