(January 12) ?? First trivia quiz of 2005: Question ?C What does Fordham University??s Rose Hill Gymnasium have in common with Yogi Berra, Johnny Carson, Margaret Thatcher, The New Yorker Magazine, Robert Kennedy, Jack Lemmon, William F. Buckley Tony Curtis, Bill Haley, Lou Carnesecca, Dick Van Dyke and Merv Griffin? Answer ?C All were born in 1925.
The Rose Hill Gymnasium celebrates its 80th Anniversary this Sunday, January 16, when the Fordham Rams men??s basketball team hosts the Xavier Musketeers in an Atlantic 10 Conference match up, tip off at 2:00 PM (WFUV, 90.7 FM, A-10 TV Network).
It is exactly 80 years to the day ?C January 16, 1925, when Fordham tipped off against Boston College in the first game ever played at the venerable building. Legendary Cardinals baseball great and Fordham grad Frankie Frisch was the referee for that game. The Rose Hill Gym is the oldest building utilized for Division I college basketball in the country.
In 1925, Calvin Coolidge was inaugurated as President, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Senators in the World Series, Flying Ebony captured the Kentucky Derby, and such hit songs as Yes Sir That??s My Baby and If You Knew Suzie were on the lips of America.
As part of the celebration, an 80-inch by 80-inch (6-foot, 10 inches) anniversary card will be signed by all in attendance at the game, and later delivered to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Songs from 1925 will be played, and anyone with the first name ??Rose?? will receive free admission with proper ID.
Fordham Athletics Class of 2005 Hall of Fame inductions will also take place on that afternoon at 12:00 noon at the McGinley Center with MetroStars forward John Wolyniec (Soccer, ??99); Paul Delo (Swimming & Diving ??98), James McDermott (Baseball ??93), Kevin Motsch (Rowing ??94), Charles Spinelli (Football ??85), and Rick Sweeney (Water Polo, Swimming & Diving ??88) being enshrined; YES Network??s Michael Kay (FC ??82) serving as Master of Ceremonies.