Harry Pontius II remembered beyond what he did on the court
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BVM) – Nearly a century after his high school basketball career began Harry Pontius II is finally going into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame, joining the Class of 2020.
Pontius played basketball at Newton Falls High School in the late 1920s and early ‘30s. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound athlete excelled at multiple sports earning All-Ohio honors in not only basketball, but football as well.
The future hall of famer would continue with his basketball career at Western Reserve University where he earned All-American honorable mention honors twice. Between high school and college, Pontius also participated in track, swimming and wrestling; displaying his impressive all-around athleticism.
The former Spartan would go on to play professional basketball for the Goodyear Wingfoots. He also played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are better known today as the Steelers, under a fake name in order to avoid tarnishing his contract with the Wingfoots.
While his athletic success was impressive, some of Pontius’ greatest accomplishments came outside of sports. While at Western Reserve, he was a class president as well as president of student council and his fraternity.
His leadership experience in school would help him in his professional career with Goodyear, where he worked in management for five years from 1935-40. Specifically, Pontius helped develop tires for off-road vehicles, which actually ended up enhancing the performance of numerous World War II combat vehicles.
Perhaps Pontius’ most interesting accomplishment was being a member in administration at the time of the presidencies of both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman. During this time, Pontius would help create and run programs such as the War Production Board, the Manhattan Project and the Marshall Plan.
Pontius eventually continued his professional career by going on to start his own business in the 1950s. The business, which was involved in the furniture and real estate industries, soon evolved into six different companies.
In 1981, the former Spartan standout was inducted into Western Reserve University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Pontius was also later named to the Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame.
Pontius passed away in 2009, at the age of 96, but another hall of fame induction has added to his great legacy. A highly successful professional who was also a special athlete for his time, Pontius’ contributions not only within sports, but also outside of them were truly special.
