Photographs from the 1942 Southern Conference Tournament

Today’s post is the third and final on the 1942 Southern Conference Basketball Tournament, which we have been featuring on its seventieth anniversary in conjunction with the fifty-ninth annual Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament taking place March 8th through 11th, 2012.
Some of the photographs shown below are not available in the online collection of Hugh Morton’s photographs at the time of this posting.  They will be added to the collection in the future.  Those images that are available in the collection can be seen without cropping by clicking on the image.
Many of the people portrayed in these photographs are unidentified.  If you can provide any identifications please leave a comment!

Duke bench during games versus Washington and Lee, March 5th, 1942.

Duke bench during game against Washington and Lee
Members of the Duke University men's basketball team and head coach Edmund "Eddie" Cameron seated on sideline. Labeled "For 2003 reprint book." A similar photograph of Cameron with different players appears in the March 6, 1942 issue of THE CHARLOTTE NEWS, so the event is likely the Southern Conference basketball tournament game versus Washington and Lee at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium played on March 5th.

UNC bench during game against Wake Forest, March 5th, 1942.
UNC bench during 1942 Southern Conference Tournament game against Wake Forest College
UNC men's basketball players and coach Bill Lange on sidelines during basketball game, probably 1942 Southern Conference tournament game versus Wake Forest at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, NC. (Identification of location based upon the above similar photograph of Duke's bench made from same vantage point.)

North Carolina Sate versus University of South Carolina, March 5th, 1942.
North Carolina State versus University of South Carolina game
Action from the North Carolina State versus University of South Carolina game, March 5th, 1942. (P081_NTBS3_006368)

College of William and Mary versus George Washington University, March 5th 1942.
William and Mary versus George Washington University
A struggle for possession during the William and Mary versus George Washington University opening round game played on March 5th 1942.

Bench photographs of unidentified teams, players, or coaches

William and Mary players and coach
William and Mary players and coach (P081_NTBS3_006370). Note the photographer (perhaps!) on the right side of the image, seated next to what looks to be a camera with mounted flash unit.

 
Unidentified team, 1942 Southern Tournament
Unidentified team and coach (P081_NTBS3_006371).

George Washington University players and coach during 1942 Southern Conference Tournament
George Washington University players and coach during 1942 Southern Conference Tournament (P081_NTBS3_006369).

Duke versus Wake Forest, March 6th, 1942.
Duke versus Wake Forest during 1942 Southern Conference Tournament
Scene from the Wake Forest College vs. Duke University game. Morton's photograph (cropped to show only three players on left) appears in the 8 March 1942 edition of the WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL AND SENTINEL with caption, "Gantt on the Lose—Big Bob Gantt, one of those five flaming Duke sophs, is shown here breaking down the court during the Wake Forest game Friday night. He had just taken the ball off the Wake backboard and is en route to his as Jim Bonds, deacon forward, partially blocks his way. Garland Loftis of Duke is the other player. Duke won 54–45."

 North Carolina State versus William and Mary, March 7th, 1942.
Weary Bones McKinney
This photograph captures Horace "Bones" McKinney on floor with towel during N.C. State University game versus William and Mary in the tournament semifinal. This photograph (or one made within a split second) is similarly cropped as it appeared in the CHARLOTTE NEWS with the caption, "WEARY BONES McKINNEY was glad to stretch out on the floor during a time out last night as his N. C. State ball club fought off a last-minute rally by William and Mary and came out with a 53-52 victory that sent the Terrors into the tourney title-round for the first time since it was moved to Raleigh in 1933." Click on the image to see the full negative.

 
McKinney hoists Carvalho
This Morton photograph appeared in the WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL AND SENTINEL with the caption “Clown Prince Gets Happy—Bones McKinney, tall N. C. State center, hoists Little Buckwheat Carvalho after the Terrors had beaten William and Mary in the semifinals of the conference tourney, 53-52. Bones was the top scorer in the loop this year with 300 points.” Little Buckwheat’s real first name was Paul. (P081_NTBS3_006374)

Championship game, Duke versus North Carolina State, March 7th, 1942.
Duke versus NCSU 1942 Southern Conference Tournament
Cropped view from the only surviving negative of an action shot made during the Duke versus North Carolina State championship game to be discovered thus far in the Morton Collection (P081_NTBS3_006375). The entire negative as shot can be seen below. See the previous blog post for Morton's published photograph of the Duke team and fans after receiving the tournament trophy.

Duke versus NCSU (not cropped)

7 thoughts on “Photographs from the 1942 Southern Conference Tournament”

  1. Interesting to see some teams wearing knee pads, some not. Was 1942 a time of transition away from pads?

  2. Stephen, I am sure you must have a copy of Smitty Barrier’s book on the ACC, I just haven’t seen you refer to it. Hugh was grieved by the fact that Smitty wouldn’t use any photographs except those actually taken during the tournament. You might find some answers there.
    I am blown away by the difference in the early bb pictures and those we have come to expect.. Cameras and film sure changed.
    Regards, Julia

    1. I had a chance to look at that book yesterday and found Hugh’s photographs (without a credit line) of the runner-up trophy presentation after the 1946 NCAA championship game. The author identified the presenter as Harold Olsen, the NCAA tournament chairman, so I was able to update the image in the online collection. Many thanks for the lead!

  3. My father, George Strayhorn played basketball for NC State from 1939 until 1943. He was the captain of the team in 1942-43. In the 3rd photograph he is the player in the far background with the dark hair. In photo 11 he is in the middle of the photo wiearing jersey No. 9. I have the actual newspaper with this photo. If anyone ever comes to Annapolis, MD this newspaper is on the wall at Armadillos restraurant located on dockstreet.
    I have a many newspaper with pictures of state players from that era. Robert
    Strayhorne

  4. Many thanks Mr. Stryahorn for the identifications! It’s great to have names reunited with faces. In case you didn’t see it, the first post in this series featured a photograph that also included your father, and I don’t think it’s one you email to me. See https://blogs.lib.unc.edu/morton/index.php/2012/03/1942-southern-conference-basketball-tournament/
    In the coming weeks, I’ll sort through the images of clippings that you emailed and see what I can match up with negatives in the Morton collection. The snapshots have been useful for obtaining addition identifications.

  5. The “struggle for possession” photograph appears in the March 7th CHARLOTTE OBSERVER with a caption identifying Matt Zunic, “George Washington’s star” who “goes to the floor to keep the ball away from William and Mary players.”

  6. The action shot from the South Carolina versus NC State game also appears in the March 7th CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, with a caption that identifies USC’s Stan Stasica (left), NC State’s Buck Carvalho reaching in for the ball, and “Pres Westmoreland (right) looking on.” Mr. Strayhorne identified NC State’s George Strayhorn in the background, and his clipping led to the Observer for the additional identifications.

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