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{{Short description|American sports businessman (1923–2009)}}
'''Abe Pollin''' (born [[December 3]], [[1923]] in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]) is the current owner of the [[NBA]]'s [[Washington Wizards]], and former owner of the [[NHL]]'s [[Washington Capitals]] and [[WNBA]]'s [[Washington Mystics]].
{{More citations needed|date=November 2009}}
{{Infobox person
|image = Abe_Pollan_1998.jpg
|caption = Pollin in 1998
|birth_date = December 3, 1923
|birth_place = [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2009|11|24|1923|12|03}}
|death_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
|known_for = owner of the:{{blist | [[Washington Capitals]] | [[Washington Mystics]] | [[Washington Wizards]] }}
|occupation = Building contractor<br>Real estate developer<br>Sports team owner<br>Philanthropist
|spouse = {{Marriage|[[Irene Pollin|Irene Kerchek]]|May 27, 1945}}
|children = 4, including [[Robert Pollin|Robert]]
|parents = <!-- parents: include only if they are independently notable or particularly relevant. -->
}}


'''Abraham J. Pollin''' (December 3, 1923 &ndash; November 24, 2009) was the owner of a number of [[professional sports]] teams including the [[Washington Capitals]] in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), the [[Washington Mystics]] in the [[Women's National Basketball Association]] (WNBA), and the [[Washington Wizards|Baltimore / Washington Bullets / Wizards]] in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA). Pollin was the longest-tenured owner of an NBA team, holding the Packers / Zephyrs / Bullets / Wizards franchise for 46 years.
Pollin graduated from [[George Washington University]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] in 1945, where he was a member of [[Zeta Beta Tau]], a [[Jew]]ish fraternity. A successful construction contractor in the Washington area, he headed an investment group that bought the then [[Baltimore Bullets]] in [[1964]]. He moved the team to the Washington area in [[1973]] after building the [[Capital Centre]]. In [[1996]], Pollin announced that he was changing the team's name because he felt the name "Bullets" had too many negative connotations. "Our slogan used to be 'Faster than a speeding bullet,' but that is no longer appropriate," Pollin told the press. A "name-the-team" contest yielded the name "Wizards."

==Biography==
Pollin was born to a [[American Jews|Jewish]] family in [[Philadelphia]]<ref>[http://www.jhsgw.org/exhibitions/online/jewishwashington/exhibition/back-to-the-city Jewish Washington: Scrapbook of an American Community] retrieved May 13, 2015</ref> on December 3, 1923, to Jennie and Morris Pollin.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/24/AR2009112404209.html Washington Post: "Abe Pollin Timeline"] November 25, 2009</ref><ref name=wedding>{{cite news|title=Pollin-Kerchek Nuptials Read In City Hotel|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 14, 1945|page=10}}</ref> His family's original [[surname]] was Pollinovsky which was shortened to Pollin by Morris upon his arrival at [[Ellis Island]] from [[Russia]] in 1914.<ref name="jfwp840408su">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/1984/04/08/capital-abe/faaf37da-7f4b-4e83-ad6d-263394745bb4/ Feinstein, John. "Capital Abe," ''The Washington Post'', Sunday, April 8, 1984.] Retrieved March 6, 2022.</ref> When he was 8, Pollin's family moved to the [[Washington area]] from [[Philadelphia]].<ref name=espn/> After graduating from [[Theodore Roosevelt High School (Washington, D.C.)|Theodore Roosevelt High School]] in 1941 and [[George Washington University]] with a [[Bachelor of Business Administration]] in 1945,<ref name="jfwp840408su"/><ref>[https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/memoriam-abe-pollin "In Memoriam: Abe Pollin," GW Today (George Washington University), Monday, November 23, 2009.] Retrieved March 6, 2022.</ref> he took a job with his family's construction company for 12 years.<ref name=espn/> The Pollins launched their own construction company in 1957.<ref name=espn/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/Abe_Pollin_Bio-44212-56.html|title=Washington Wizards Owners Irene & Abe Pollin|publisher=[[National Basketball Association]]}}</ref>

Pollin was a successful construction contractor in the Washington area. He, along with [[Earl Foreman]] and real estate investor/former NBA referee Arnold Heft purchased the then-Baltimore Bullets from Dave Trager for $1.1 million on November 23, 1964.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OCEiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BnQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=926%2C3632741 ''The Associated Press'' (AP) Wirephoto of Earl Foreman, Arnold Heft and Abe Pollin after their $1.1 million purchase of the Baltimore Bullets on Monday, November 23, 1964.] Retrieved March 5, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/1991/02/17/holding-back-the-shadows/ec266007-c31f-46d0-959c-f330ede47f5f/ Williams, Juan. "Holding Back the Shadows," ''The Washington Post'', Sunday, February 17, 1991.] Retrieved March 5, 2023.</ref> He moved the team to the Washington area in 1973 after building the [[Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)|Capital Centre]] in suburban [[Landover, Maryland]].<ref name=espn/> In 1996, Pollin announced that he was changing the team's name because he felt the name "Bullets" had too many negative connotations.<ref name=espn/> "Our slogan used to be 'Faster than a speeding bullet,' but that is no longer appropriate", Pollin told the press. A "Name the Team" contest yielded the name "Wizards."

Pollin supported the Washington, D.C. community philanthropically, including a 1988 partnership with businessman Melvin Cohen to award college scholarships to 59 fifth-graders in [[Seat Pleasant, Maryland]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-promise-two-wealthy-men-set-out-to-transform-the-lives-of-59-poor-kids/2011/12/15/gIQAd13syO_story_1.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Paul|last=Schwartzman|title=The Promise: Two wealthy men set out to transform the lives of 59 fifth-graders|date=December 20, 2011}}</ref> Beginning in 2002, an award called "The Pollin Award" has been awarded annually in his honor. People are chosen for the Pollin Award based on their dedication to the Washington, D.C. community and the impact they have on it. Winners of the award have included [[Georgia M. Dickens]], 2002 [[Executive Director, The S.T.E.P.U.P. Foundation Of Greater Washington, D.C. Inc.]], [[Harvey C. Barnum, Jr.]], 2005 [[Teacher of the Year]], [[Jason Kamras]] and 2006 [[Miss District of Columbia]], [[Kate Michael]].

==Death==
Pollin died on November 24, 2009, at age 85, of [[corticobasal degeneration]], a rare brain disease.<ref name=espn>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4686480 |title=Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin dies at 85 |date=November 24, 2009 |access-date=November 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213174628/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4686480 |archive-date=February 13, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/sports/basketball/25pollin.html|title=Abe Pollin, Team Owner and Philanthropist, Dies at 85 (Published 2009)|first=Richard|last=Goldstein|date=November 25, 2009|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name=wtop>{{cite web|date=November 25, 2009 |access-date=November 28, 2009 |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nba&id=4690225 |title=Funeral for Wizards owner Pollin to be held Friday |publisher=ESPN |agency=[[Associated Press]] |archive-date=April 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419234944/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nba&id=4690225 |url-status=live }}</ref>
He had made donations totaling $3 million toward finding a cure for the disease.

==Personal==
Pollin and his wife, [[Irene Pollin|Irene Sue]] ([[Married and maiden names|''née'']] Kerchek) were married on May 27, 1945, in Washington, D.C.<ref name=wedding/> The couple had four children, three sons and one daughter: Linda Joy (1947-1963), [[Robert Pollin|Robert N.]] (born 1950), Kenneth Jay (1952-1954), and James Edward (born 1958). Linda and Jay both suffered from congenital heart disease, leading to Jay's death at the age of 14 months old and Linda's death at the age of 16. After Linda's death, her father was so distraught that he quit his construction business and took a year off of work to recuperate from the loss.


==Holdings==
==Holdings==
Pollin is the chairman of the board, chief executive, and the majority shareholder of his company, [[Washington Sports and Entertainment]], which owns the Wizards, [[Verizon Center]], and [[Capital Centre]] (formerly known as the [[US Air Arena]]), amongst other entertainment interests.
Abe Pollin was the chairman of the board, chief executive, and the majority [[shareholder]] of his company, Washington Sports and Entertainment, which owned the Wizards and the [[Capital One Arena|Verizon Center]], amongst other entertainment interests.<ref name=espn/> He was also the builder and owner of the [[Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)|Capital Centre]], former home of the [[Washington Bullets]] (Now Wizards) and Capitals.<ref name=espn/>


==Accomplishments and honors==
⚫
== External links ==
In 1999, Pollin received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#sports}}</ref>

On March 9, 2009, Pollin was inducted into the [[George Washington University School of Business]] Sports Executives Hall of Fame. In March 2011, he was inducted into the [[National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news|access-date=March 28, 2011 |url-status=live |url=http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/other/article378065.ece |title=Mesler inducted into Jewish shrine |newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]] |date=March 27, 2011 |archive-date=March 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312180145/http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/other/article378065.ece }}</ref>

Pollin's building and financing of [[Capital One Arena]] is often given credit for revitalizing [[Downtown Washington, D.C.]]{{citation needed |date=September 2022}} The block of F Street NW where [[Capital One Arena]] is located was named "Abe Pollin Way" in his honor.<ref name="day">{{cite news|title=Today is Abe Pollin Day|last=Steinberg|first=Dan|url= http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2007/12/today_is_abe_pollin_day.html|date=December 3, 2007|newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=September 30, 2022}}</ref> The Irene Apartments at 4701 Willard Ave, [[Chevy Chase, Maryland]], were built by Abe and named after his wife.

Mayor [[Adrian Fenty]] named December 3, 2007, "Abe Pollin Day" in Washington, D.C.<ref name="day"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

⚫
==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/Abe_Pollin_Bio-44212-56.html Wizards profile]
*[http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/Abe_Pollin_Bio-44212-56.html Wizards profile]
*[http://www.aish.com/societyWork/work/Profile_The_Wizard_of_Washington.asp AISH profile]
*[http://www.aish.com/ci/be/48880787.html AISH profile]
*Goldstein, Richard [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/sports/basketball/25pollin.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries "Abe Pollin, Team Owner and Philanthropist, Dies at 85"] ''The New York Times'', Wednesday, November 25, 2009

{{Washington Wizards}}
{{Washington Capitals}}


{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Pollin, Abe}}
⚫
[[Category:National Basketball Association executives|Pollin, Abe]]
[[Category:American entrepreneurs|Pollin, Abe]]
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:Washington Wizards|Pollin, Abe]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:George Washington University alumni|Pollin, Abe]]
[[Category:Deaths from corticobasal degeneration]]
[[Category:Jewish American sportspeople]]
[[Category:Neurological disease deaths in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Jewish Americans]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Maryland]]
[[Category:Jewish businesspeople]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:American businesspeople]]
[[Category:George Washington University alumni]]
[[Category:Jewish American sports executives and administrators]]
⚫
[[Category:National Hockey League executives]]
[[Category:Washington Wizards owners]]
[[Category:Washington Capitals owners]]
[[Category:Jews from Pennsylvania]]

Revision as of 14:56, 2 April 2024

Abe Pollin
Pollin in 1998
BornDecember 3, 1923
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedNovember 24, 2009(2009-11-24) (aged 85)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation(s)Building contractor
Real estate developer
Sports team owner
Philanthropist
Known forowner of the:
Spouse
​
(m. 1945)​
Children4, including Robert

Abraham J. Pollin (December 3, 1923 – November 24, 2009) was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Baltimore / Washington Bullets / Wizards in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Pollin was the longest-tenured owner of an NBA team, holding the Packers / Zephyrs / Bullets / Wizards franchise for 46 years.

Biography

Pollin was born to a Jewish family in Philadelphia[1] on December 3, 1923, to Jennie and Morris Pollin.[2][3] His family's original surname was Pollinovsky which was shortened to Pollin by Morris upon his arrival at Ellis Island from Russia in 1914.[4] When he was 8, Pollin's family moved to the Washington area from Philadelphia.[5] After graduating from Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1941 and George Washington University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1945,[4][6] he took a job with his family's construction company for 12 years.[5] The Pollins launched their own construction company in 1957.[5][7]

Pollin was a successful construction contractor in the Washington area. He, along with Earl Foreman and real estate investor/former NBA referee Arnold Heft purchased the then-Baltimore Bullets from Dave Trager for $1.1 million on November 23, 1964.[8][9] He moved the team to the Washington area in 1973 after building the Capital Centre in suburban Landover, Maryland.[5] In 1996, Pollin announced that he was changing the team's name because he felt the name "Bullets" had too many negative connotations.[5] "Our slogan used to be 'Faster than a speeding bullet,' but that is no longer appropriate", Pollin told the press. A "Name the Team" contest yielded the name "Wizards."

Pollin supported the Washington, D.C. community philanthropically, including a 1988 partnership with businessman Melvin Cohen to award college scholarships to 59 fifth-graders in Seat Pleasant, Maryland.[10] Beginning in 2002, an award called "The Pollin Award" has been awarded annually in his honor. People are chosen for the Pollin Award based on their dedication to the Washington, D.C. community and the impact they have on it. Winners of the award have included Georgia M. Dickens, 2002 Executive Director, The S.T.E.P.U.P. Foundation Of Greater Washington, D.C. Inc., Harvey C. Barnum, Jr., 2005 Teacher of the Year, Jason Kamras and 2006 Miss District of Columbia, Kate Michael.

Death

Pollin died on November 24, 2009, at age 85, of corticobasal degeneration, a rare brain disease.[5][11][12] He had made donations totaling $3 million toward finding a cure for the disease.

Personal

Pollin and his wife, Irene Sue (née Kerchek) were married on May 27, 1945, in Washington, D.C.[3] The couple had four children, three sons and one daughter: Linda Joy (1947-1963), Robert N. (born 1950), Kenneth Jay (1952-1954), and James Edward (born 1958). Linda and Jay both suffered from congenital heart disease, leading to Jay's death at the age of 14 months old and Linda's death at the age of 16. After Linda's death, her father was so distraught that he quit his construction business and took a year off of work to recuperate from the loss.

Holdings

Abe Pollin was the chairman of the board, chief executive, and the majority shareholder of his company, Washington Sports and Entertainment, which owned the Wizards and the Verizon Center, amongst other entertainment interests.[5] He was also the builder and owner of the Capital Centre, former home of the Washington Bullets (Now Wizards) and Capitals.[5]

Accomplishments and honors

In 1999, Pollin received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[13]

On March 9, 2009, Pollin was inducted into the George Washington University School of Business Sports Executives Hall of Fame. In March 2011, he was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[14]

Pollin's building and financing of Capital One Arena is often given credit for revitalizing Downtown Washington, D.C.[citation needed] The block of F Street NW where Capital One Arena is located was named "Abe Pollin Way" in his honor.[15] The Irene Apartments at 4701 Willard Ave, Chevy Chase, Maryland, were built by Abe and named after his wife.

Mayor Adrian Fenty named December 3, 2007, "Abe Pollin Day" in Washington, D.C.[15]

References

  1. ^ Jewish Washington: Scrapbook of an American Community retrieved May 13, 2015
  2. ^ Washington Post: "Abe Pollin Timeline" November 25, 2009
  3. ^ a b "Pollin-Kerchek Nuptials Read In City Hotel". The Washington Post. June 14, 1945. p. 10.
  4. ^ a b Feinstein, John. "Capital Abe," The Washington Post, Sunday, April 8, 1984. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin dies at 85". November 24, 2009. Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  6. ^ "In Memoriam: Abe Pollin," GW Today (George Washington University), Monday, November 23, 2009. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  7. ^ "Washington Wizards Owners Irene & Abe Pollin". National Basketball Association.
  8. ^ The Associated Press (AP) Wirephoto of Earl Foreman, Arnold Heft and Abe Pollin after their $1.1 million purchase of the Baltimore Bullets on Monday, November 23, 1964. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Williams, Juan. "Holding Back the Shadows," The Washington Post, Sunday, February 17, 1991. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Schwartzman, Paul (December 20, 2011). "The Promise: Two wealthy men set out to transform the lives of 59 fifth-graders". The Washington Post.
  11. ^ Goldstein, Richard (November 25, 2009). "Abe Pollin, Team Owner and Philanthropist, Dies at 85 (Published 2009)". The New York Times.
  12. ^ "Funeral for Wizards owner Pollin to be held Friday". ESPN. Associated Press. November 25, 2009. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  13. ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  14. ^ "Mesler inducted into Jewish shrine". The Buffalo News. March 27, 2011. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Steinberg, Dan (December 3, 2007). "Today is Abe Pollin Day". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
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