Walter A. Brown
Founder of the Celtics, owner of the Bruins, hockey executive.
Walter Augustine Brown (February 10, 1905 – September 7, 1964) was an American sports executive who founded the Boston Celtics and owned the Boston Bruins. He also served as president of the Boston Athletic Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1905-02-10
- Birth Place
- Hopkinton, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Death Date
- 1964-09-07
- Death Place
- Hyannis, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Occupation
- Basketball team owner / Ice hockey coach and team owner
- Known For
- Founder and owner of the Boston Celtics
- Honors
- Hockey Hall of Fame (1962) · Basketball Hall of Fame (1965) · IIHF Hall of Fame (1997) · No. 1 retired by Boston Celtics
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Walter Brown succeeded his father, George V. Brown, as manager of the Boston Garden. Believing Boston should have a basketball team, he took a mortgage on his home and founded the Celtics in 1945. He helped found the Basketball Association of America in 1946 and was instrumental in merging it with the National Basketball League to form the NBA in 1949. Brown ran the Celtics as a subsidiary of the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation until 1950, when he bought the team in his own name and took on Lou Pieri as a minority partner. The Celtics won six championships in the seven years before his death. In hockey, Brown coached the amateur Boston Olympics to five Eastern Hockey League championships and guided the US to its first gold medal in the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1933. In February 1940, he and eight other arena managers organized the Ice Capades. He bought the financially strapped Boston Bruins in 1951, having been their landlord as Garden manager. He served as president of the International Ice Hockey Federation from 1954 to 1957. Brown also served as president of the Boston Athletic Association from 1941 to 1964; in 1951, during the Korean War, he denied Korean entries into the Boston Marathon, stating that every Korean should be fighting instead of training for marathons.
Reader's Guide
Walter Brown's significance lies in his dual impact on professional basketball and ice hockey. As founder and owner of the Boston Celtics, he oversaw their transformation into a dynasty, winning six championships in seven years. In hockey, he coached the Boston Olympics to five Eastern Hockey League titles and led the US to its first World Championship gold medal in 1933. He owned the Boston Bruins and served as president of the International Ice Hockey Federation from 1954 to 1957. His contributions were recognized with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1965, and the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997. The NBA championship trophy was named after him following his death in 1964. The Walter A. Brown International Hockey Tournament was held in Colorado Springs from 1964 to 1968.
Did You Know?
- Walter Brown founded the Boston Celtics in 1945 by taking a mortgage out on his home.
- The NBA championship trophy was named after him after his death in 1964.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Walter A. Brown?
Walter Augustine Brown (1905–1964) was an American sports executive from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, best remembered for founding the Boston Celtics and serving as owner of the Boston Bruins. He also held leadership roles in both the Boston Athletic Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation.
What teams is Walter A. Brown connected to?
Brown is the founding figure behind the Boston Celtics and held ownership of the NHL's Boston Bruins, giving him a rare dual footprint in two major American professional sports. His hands-on involvement in both franchises made him a central figure in Boston sports for decades.
What role did Walter A. Brown play in international hockey governance?
He served as president of the International Ice Hockey Federation from 1954 to 1957, placing him at the helm of the sport's global governing body. He was later honored with an induction into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997.
When was Walter A. Brown inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame?
Brown received his Hockey Hall of Fame induction in 1962, roughly two years before his death in September 1964. His IIHF Hall of Fame recognition followed in 1997, well after his passing.
Why is Walter A. Brown considered important to hockey history?
As a builder and executive rather than a player, Brown shaped the Boston Bruins franchise and helped establish the Celtics, while his IIHF presidency put him at the center of global hockey administration. His 1962 Hall of Fame induction recognized decades of behind-the-scenes influence on the sport.
More in Hockey Hall of Fame Builders and Executives 1-24
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