Gallatin Among First MIAA Hall of Fame Inductees
Truman basketball great Harry “The Horse” Gallatin was enshrined as part of the inaugural Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Hall of Fame class at the league’s awards banquet in Kansas City in June.
Gallatin, the only Truman alumnus who has played in the NBA, starred for a decade on the professional level. He performed nine seasons for the New York Knicks and his final year for the Detroit Pistons.
At that time, he held the NBA record for consecutive games played (746) and was selected to compete in the first seven NBA all-star games, a feat only two other players, Dolph Schayes and Bob Cousy, can claim.
While a member of the Knicks, he was dubbed “The Horse” because of his durability, aggressiveness and hard work.
As a Bulldog, he earned all-conference accolades in 1946-47 and 1947-48 and was a NAIA All-American in 1947-48.
During Gallatin’s collegiate career, Truman won 59 of 63 games, notched a pair of league titles and made two trips to the NAIA Tournament in Kansas City.
Gallatin also competed in baseball while at Truman. When he first started his professional basketball career, he also played four years of baseball in the Chicago Cubs organization.
After his retirement from professional basketball in 1958, Gallatin was appointed basketball coach at Southern Illinois-Carbondale, where he logged a four-year record of 79-36.
He was hired to guide the St. Louis Hawks of the NBA, leading them to a 48-32 record in his first season at the helm. Gallatin was named 1962-63 NBA Coach of the Year.
After a three-year stint with St. Louis, Gallatin returned to New York, this time as coach.
In 1967, he became Dean of Students at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, near his hometown. Gallatin coached basketball for two years and served as athletic director for five years. He took a full-time teaching position in 1972 at SIUE.
Gallatin was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 and is also a member of the Truman Athletics Hall of Fame, the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame, the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame.
His Bulldog No. 44 jersey was retired on Jan. 20, 2001.
Gallatin, the only Truman alumnus who has played in the NBA, starred for a decade on the professional level. He performed nine seasons for the New York Knicks and his final year for the Detroit Pistons.
At that time, he held the NBA record for consecutive games played (746) and was selected to compete in the first seven NBA all-star games, a feat only two other players, Dolph Schayes and Bob Cousy, can claim.
While a member of the Knicks, he was dubbed “The Horse” because of his durability, aggressiveness and hard work.
As a Bulldog, he earned all-conference accolades in 1946-47 and 1947-48 and was a NAIA All-American in 1947-48.
During Gallatin’s collegiate career, Truman won 59 of 63 games, notched a pair of league titles and made two trips to the NAIA Tournament in Kansas City.
Gallatin also competed in baseball while at Truman. When he first started his professional basketball career, he also played four years of baseball in the Chicago Cubs organization.
After his retirement from professional basketball in 1958, Gallatin was appointed basketball coach at Southern Illinois-Carbondale, where he logged a four-year record of 79-36.
He was hired to guide the St. Louis Hawks of the NBA, leading them to a 48-32 record in his first season at the helm. Gallatin was named 1962-63 NBA Coach of the Year.
After a three-year stint with St. Louis, Gallatin returned to New York, this time as coach.
In 1967, he became Dean of Students at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, near his hometown. Gallatin coached basketball for two years and served as athletic director for five years. He took a full-time teaching position in 1972 at SIUE.
Gallatin was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 and is also a member of the Truman Athletics Hall of Fame, the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame, the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame.
His Bulldog No. 44 jersey was retired on Jan. 20, 2001.
