Harry “Yo-Yo” Shifren

When Harry Shifren was born in a lower Manhattan tenement in New York, his mother, Gussie, had only been in America about a year. Her husband, Isaac, came from Russia…

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Leroy Frederick Gollatz

This son of German immigrants was passionate about the sport of bowling. He might not have known that many aspects of modern pin bowling were standardized in Germany, thanks to…

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Raymond Pimlott Kaighn

Only 18 men can boast that they played the first-ever game of basketball. Raymond was one of those players that put the uniquely American innovation to the test when a…

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Charles Neal Gault

From major league ball player to teacher, athletic director, and coach, young Charles never could have imagined a long career in sports when he was first entering the world of…

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Peter Clarkson Ellmaker

The Ellmaker family’s roots go deep in Lancaster County and well before the Revolutionary War. Peter had a half-brother, Frederick, born in 1811 but their father died in 1816. That’s…

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George D. Turner

There are certain terms that most every Philadelphian would recognize. One is Franklin Field and another is the Penn Relays. George Turner was there when they were first created. George…

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