Adolph Samborski

Adolph Walter Samborski (February 10, 1904 – December 8, 1977) was an American coach and administrator who served as athletic director and head baseball coach at Harvard University.

Adolph Samborski
Biographical details
Born(1904-02-10)February 10, 1904
Westfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedDecember 8, 1977(1977-12-08) (aged 73)
York, Maine, U.S.
Playing career
Basketball
1921–1925Harvard
Baseball
1922–1925Harvard
Football
1923Harvard
Position(s)Guard (basketball)
Catcher (baseball)
Fullback (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Baseball
1934–1946Harvard (JV)
1947–1948Harvard
Basketball
1925–1928Harvard (freshmen)
1933–1934Harvard (freshmen)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1927–1961Harvard (dir. of intramural sports)
1961–1963Harvard (assistant AD)
1963–1964Harvard (associate AD)
1964–1970Harvard
1971–1974Yankee Conference (commissioner)

Athletic career

Samborski attended Harvard after graduating from Westfield High School. He was captain of the freshman basketball team and the starting catcher on the freshman baseball team. He became a starting guard on the varsity basketball team his sophomore season and became the team captain as a junior. He was the backup varsity catcher his sophomore before taking over the starting job his junior year. He was also a fullback on the 1923 Harvard Crimson football team.[1]

Coaching

Samborski graduated from Harvard College in 1925 and remained with the Crimson as freshman basketball coach while he earned master's degrees in education and European history.[2][3] He also coached the Crimson's junior varsity baseball team and was the varsity baseball coach in 1947 and 1948.[4][5] He gave up coaching in 1948 to focus on his job as director of intramural sports.[6]

Administration

In 1927 Samborski presented Harvard with a plan for organized intramural sports. The plan was approved and he was named director of intramural sports.[7] In 1961, Samborski became Harvard's assistant athletic director.[3] In 1963 he was promoted to associate athletic director and took over as acting athletic director when Thomas Bolles retired on August 31, 1963.[8] On March 10, 1964, he was given the job permanently.[9] He retired in August 1970. From 1971 to 1974 he was the commissioner of the Yankee Conference.[10][11] He died on December 8, 1977, in York, Maine after a long illness.[11]

References
  1. "Samborski New Captain: Westfield Boy to Lead Basket Ball Team at Harvard During Winter of 1924-25". The Boston Daily Globe. April 8, 1924.
  2. "Freshman Basketball". Harvard Alumni Bulletin. 28 (8): 233. November 1925. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  3. Fenton, John (July 9, 1961). "'Sam' the Man for Harvard Post: Samborski Is Ideal Choice as Athletic Department Aide Founded Successful Intramural Sports Program in 1927". The New York Times.
  4. "Harvard Names Coaches for Football, Baseball". The Boston Daily Globe. January 30, 1934.
  5. "New Coaches at Harvard". The New York Times. October 21, 1946.
  6. "M'Innis Harvard Coach". The New York Times. October 20, 1948.
  7. Rosa, Francis (May 7, 1963). "Top Post for Samborski: Harvard Expected To Name Him Athletic Director". The Boston Globe.
  8. Fowle, Leonard (May 14, 1963). "Samborski Gets 'H' Athletic Post". The Boston Globe.
  9. "Samborski Harvard's Official A.D.". The Boston Globe. March 11, 1964.
  10. "Samborski gets Yankee Conf. top sports post". The Boston Globe. February 27, 1971.
  11. "Adolph W. Samborski". The New York Times. December 9, 1977.
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