THE SWAAD – ITS BEGINNING…
The contents of this article though published once or twice, previously, were originally composed after discussions and an outline given by your friend and mine, W.O Barton, a great believer in the SWAAD and a long supporter of local and state-wide sports and a true advocate of sportsmanship.
This is a narrative of the conception, birth and growth of an idea which has become something of seasonal ceremonial that commands the attention of all the deaf.
The idea originated from Art Kurger, then of Akron, Ohio and Tom Elliott of Los Angeles
Concerning a National Basketball Tournament for Clubs, of the Deaf. Art Kurger was selected Committee Chairman. The first National Tournament was held at Akron, Ohio on April 14, 1945. Los Angeles, Buffalo, Chicago, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Akron as host, were the participating teams. Five teams from different geographic area of the United States were invited to take part. The original tourney was so successful that subsequent meetings were planned with larger representation throughout the country.
After that year, 1946 Gordon B Allen of Houston was asked to handle the reins of the first regional tournament, then bearing the label as the Southern Association of the Deaf, encompassing areas presently comprising the Southeast and Southwest regions. Houston was the site of the first tournament. Distance was a deterrent as nothing materialized that year. However, Houston gained an invite to the AAAD tournament in Chicago in 1946.
At Sulphur, Oklahoma in 1946, the Oklahoma Association of the Deaf convened.
In attendance were Gordon B. Allen, Louis B. Orill and W.O. Barton, three Texans to discuss the feasibility of the Southwest Athletic Association of the Deaf with vicarious Oklahoma representatives. Chosen as officers were Louis B. Orill, President, W.O.Barton, Vice-President and Gordon B. Allen as Secretary/Treasurer. In the spring of 1947, the first SWAAD tournament was to be held. However, at the time insufficient teams were organized and the SWAAD still lacked its first tournament. The aforementioned officers rotated their offices that year, having Gordon B. Allen, President, Louis B Orill, Vice-President and W.O.Barton as Secretary/Treasurer. Houston again received an AAAD invitation as the Southwest representative, traveling to Detroit. (Boring, ain’t it?) During the 1947 meeting, the AAAD mandated that each region should have four or more club teams participating in regional tournaments. Should a tourney have less than four teams playing, the teams should be able could participate in another nearby tournament to determine the representative to that year’s national tourney.
1948—-the year of reward for all the efforts to organize teams as affiliates of the SWAAD and the first bona-fide tournament was held in Dallas. Four teams were: Dallas Houston, Little Rock, Jackson, participated in the first tournament. Time, being almost exhausted, W.O. Barton accepted the challenge as the first tournament chairman, competently assisted by A.C. Hill Southwestern luck, whatever it may be, played the villain—- the Fair Park Recreation Building burned to the ground scant days preceding the tourney dates. However, Crozier Tech High School gymnasium, being right Mack in the downtown area, provided a suitable substitute. Remember the date? February 28, 1948. The championship and consolation series were transferred the following morning (on a Sunday, yet) to the Central YMCA, located at Erray Street. Admission was a whopping 80 cents per person. Houston emerged as the first real champion of the SWAAD, going to Philadelphia for the AAAD tournament that year.
During the first business meeting held in Dallas during the 1948 tournament, discussion of elimination of teams was the predominant topic. At the following year, Little Rock, the second annual tournament saw round-robin games according to by-laws. From here on out we have had championship bracket and consolation games.
The SWAAD, during ensuing years, with its new and different officers injecting new ideas and methods, has continued to progress and grown to its present lofty stature.
