LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Cal Ramsey upon the occasion of his
designation as the recipient of the 2009 African American Heritage Award
on February 27, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative Body to take note of and
publicly acknowledge those exemplary individuals whose purposeful lives
and distinguished careers have been committed to bettering the quality
of life in this great Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Cal
Ramsey upon the occasion of his designation as a recipient of the 2009
African American Heritage Award at a ceremony to be held on Friday,
February 27, 2009, at The Bronx Library Center; and
WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction, Cal Ramsey has continually
demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence, and dili-
gent leadership in his unwavering service to his community and profes-
sion and consequently has been designated for this most prestigious
honor; and
WHEREAS, One of the Big Apple's best-known and most respected sports
figures, Cal Ramsey is a vital force behind the Knicks' ambitious commu-
nity efforts and is an ever present figure among the city's youngsters;
as the Knicks' Director of Special Projects & Community Relations Repre-
sentative, he focuses much of his energies on education and stay-in-
school messages aimed at New York City's youth; and
WHEREAS, Instrumental in such recent successful efforts as the Knicks'
city-wide youth education program, the team's involvement in the NBA's
Read To Achieve youth initiative, and MSG's Cheering For Children Foun-
dation, Cal Ramsey serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for Madison Square
Garden, and is a familiar figure at all Knicks and Liberty home games;
and
WHEREAS, Cal Ramsey has been an integral part of the Knicks scene for
three decades; he served as Knicks TV analyst for ten seasons (1972-73
through 1981-82); was instrumental in the success of the Knicks Summer
Caravan as a coordinator and speaker; and for seven years was Knicks
Director of Community Relations prior to his current position; and
WHEREAS, His influence on the New York sports scene reaches far beyond
the Knicks; he has served his alma mater, New York University, as the
assistant director of alumni relations and was their assistant basket-
ball coach; he has been honored by NYU's School of Sports Management as
the namesake of the Cal Ramsey Distinguished Lecturer Series, an annual
event that was inaugurated by NBA Commissioner David Stern in spring
2001; and
WHEREAS, Cal Ramsey's dedication to and success in improving the qual-
ity of life for others have resulted in his receiving numerous awards
and accolades; in 2002, he received the National Invitation Tournament's
(NIT) Man of the Year Award, while in April 2005, he received the
Distinguished Service Award from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers'
Association; and
WHEREAS, Despite his busy professional life, Cal Ramsey has been
called upon to contribute his time and talents to countless civic and
charitable endeavors and has always given of himself unstintingly; and
WHEREAS, Cal Ramsey is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Chil-
dren's Aid Society, and the Board of Directors of the Black Sports and
Cultural Hall of Fame; he serves on the advisory board of YES (Youth
Education through Sports); is a member of the Frank McGuire Foundation
which honors high school coaches in the tri-state area; is former
commissioner of the Foot Locker SlamFest; is the appointed chairman of

the New York City Sports Commission; and served four years as a commen-
tator on St. John's University hoop broadcasts on WFAN; he is also
actively involved with Special Olympics; and
WHEREAS, One of the city's greatest home-grown hoop heroes, Cal Ramsey
is a graduate of Commerce (now Brandeis) High School; he is a three-year
letterman at NYC, where his heroics earned him induction into the New
York City Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994; he earned All-Metro honors in
three seasons and was named to the Helms All-America Team in 1959; he
hauled in 19.6 rpg in 1956-57, which is still a Violet team record; he
is a member of the Scholastic Honor Society and graduated from NYU with
a Bachelor of Science degree in 1959; and
WHEREAS, He was a second-round pick (15th overall) by St. Louis Hawks
in 1959; he played two NBA seasons (1959-60 and 1960-61) with the Hawks,
Knicks and Syracuse, averaging 7.9 PPG in 13 career games (including
seven contests as a Knick in 1959-60); and
WHEREAS, Following his playing days, Cal Ramsey served as a teacher in
the city's public school system; he was acting assistant principal of
I.S. 201 in Manhattan in 1968-69; he also worked extensively with New
York Urban League and New York Urban Coalition; and
WHEREAS, Cal Ramsey is enshrined in the Brooklyn-based Basketball Old
Timers of America Hall of Fame, the NYC Sports Hall of Fame, the Brook-
lyn USA Hall of Fame, the Holcombe Rucker Basketball Hall of Fame and
the Bob Douglas Community Service Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Today, Cal Ramsey is a member of the world-famous Friars
Club; he made his acting debut on a segment of the Cosby Show taped in
October 1997; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the occurrence of such a compassionate blend-
ing of strength, intellect, and commitment, as that demonstrated by Cal
Ramsey over a lifetime of sacrifice and dedication to others; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, it is appropriate to publicly proclaim and commend those individ-
uals for the edification and emulation of others; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Cal Ramsey upon the occasion of his designation as the recipient
of the 2009 African American Heritage Award; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Cal Ramsey.