Charles Hollis "Chuck" Taylor ( Eng. Charles Hollis "Chuck" Taylor ; June 24, 1901, Azalea - June 23, 1969, Port Charlotte ) - American basketball player, entrepreneur and evangelist . Best known for associating his name with the Converse series of Chuck Taylor All-Stars sports sneakers , the 2nd most popular basketball shoe in history.
| Chuck Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Charles Hollis Taylor | |
| Date of Birth | June 24, 1901 |
| Place of Birth | Port Charlotte (Florida) |
| Date of death | June 23, 1969 (67 years old) |
| Place of death | Azalea (Indiana) |
| Citizenship |  USA |
| Occupation | businessman, basketball player |
Converse Jobs
The Converse All-Star model was introduced in 1920, becoming one of the first series of shoes designed specifically for equipment at basketball matches. However, Taylor began using them three years earlier (1917) as a player on the basketball team at Columbus High School, Indiana at a youthful level [1] . At that time, A. G. Spalding (head of the Spalding shoe concern) was already developing a special basketball shoe model for almost two decades [2] . In 1923, Taylor went to the Converse office in Chicago , in search of work. He was hired by S. R. Pletz, an avid athlete [3] .
During the first year of work, Taylor made several suggestions in the design and ergonomics of the sneaker , which suggested providing greater flexibility and support for the foot, and also came up with a pad to protect the ankle . It was immediately decided to add the All-Star logo to this pad. In 1932, the name of Taylor was added to the logo, and the model received the official name " Chuck Taylor All-Stars ".
Chuck Taylor served as Converse Special Representative. Joe Dean, who worked as a Converse sales manager for nearly 30 years before becoming the sports director of Louisiana State University , described Taylor in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer : “He is impossible not to love, and he knew everyone [in the sports business] . If you were a coach and wanted to find a job, you called Chuck Taylor. Sports directors constantly turned to him when they were looking for a coach ” [4] .
Taylor received an official salary from Converse, but the firm did not pay him any deductions for any of the 600 million pairs of shoes named after him. For many years, he traveled around the United States on a white Volkswagen Beetle , selling shoes, lived in motels and had a small corner with a closet in the company's warehouse in Chicago, which he called his permanent residence [4] . The writer Abraham Aamidor noted that meanwhile Taylor was not in poverty, using the account provided to him by Converse [5] .
Basketball Career
According to Taylor, he was a professional basketball player from 1918 to 1930, speaking for various teams, including in Buffalo Germans and Original Celtics . However, there is no evidence that Taylor really played for these teams.
Since 1923, Taylor began publishing a small almanac called “Converse Basketball Yearbook”, in which he noted the best players and coaches of the season, as well as the best teams and the most significant basketball moments. The Almanac was popular and created good advertising for the brand, in 1928 it was decided to expand it [1] . In 1935, Taylor came up with a seamless basketball that allowed players to better control the rebound [1] .
Taylor's primary interest in basketball was counseling. In 1923, he became the first basketball consultant of his kind to work at the University of North Carolina , where he worked for many years. Subsequently, he collaborated with Fieldin Jost at the University of Michigan , then moved to Columbia University , after which he worked with the famous basketball coach Doc Carlson at the University of Pittsburgh [6] . For 25 years, Taylor has advised American high schools and youth Christian associations . Subsequently, Steve Stone, a former president of Converse, noted that “Chuck's trick was to go to a small town, chat with the coach and become his consultant. After that, Taylor began to teach basketball and work with a local sports goods dealer, while not encroaching on the coach’s own basketball system ” [2] .
Taylor promoted basketball internationally; which became an Olympic sport in 1936. During World War II, Taylor became a fitness consultant in the US Army. Soldiers did gymnastics in Chuck Taylor sneakers, which became the “official” shoe of the US armed forces [7] .
Taylor retired in 1967, a year later he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame [3] . The day before his 68th birthday, in June 1969, Taylor died of a heart attack in Port Charlotte , Florida [6] [8] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 Converse timeline (inaccessible link) . Converse.com. Date of treatment March 13, 2012. Archived March 14, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 The Original All-Star (link not available) . Chucksconnection.com. Date of treatment March 13, 2012. Archived March 20, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 Meet Chuck (link not available) . Classicsportshoes.com. Date of treatment March 13, 2012. Archived March 20, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 The Dallas Morning News. Bob Ford (link not available) . Apse.dallasnews.com (January 23, 2001). Date of treatment March 13, 2012. Archived on September 28, 2011.
- ↑ Chuck Taylor, All Star: The True Story of the Man Behind the Most Famous Athletic Shoe in History, ISBN 0-253-34698-3
- ↑ 1 2 “ Charles H.“ Chuck “Taylor. Archived August 31, 2009. »The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
- ↑ Chuck Taylor History . Chucksconnection.com. Date of treatment March 13, 2012.
- ↑ Who the heck was Chuck Taylor anyway? (March 28, 2001), S. A7.
Recommended
- Aamidor, Abraham. (2006). Chuck Taylor, All Star: The True Story of the Man behind the Most Famous Athletic Shoe in History , Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Links
- Taylor, Chuck on the Find a Grave website
- Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame - Charles Hollis Chuck Taylor