Francis Mahoney
Encyclopedia
Francis H. Mahoney (November 20, 1927 – April 29, 2008) was an American
professional basketball
player. He had a brief stint in the National Basketball Association
(NBA) during the 1950s.
, New York
, he was a 6'2" (1.88 m) and 205 lb (93 kg) forward and he attended Brown University
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English
. He served in the U.S. Army
during the Korean War
from 1950 to 1952, and later in the U.S. Army Reserves
until 1956. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1950 NBA Draft
by the Boston Celtics
. He played the 1952-53 season
with the Celtics, averaging 2.0 points, 1.2 rebounds
and 0.2 assists
per game in 6 games. His final season in the league, in 1953-54
, was spent with the Baltimore Bullets, playing only two games in 11 total minutes, grabbing 2 rebounds and dishing out one assist.
After his NBA
career Mahoney played for the semi-professional Lenox Merchants, and served as a basketball coach at Berkshire Community College
and the former Stockbridge School. In addition, he worked as an electrician for many years, and taught English at Berkshire Community College and Monument Mountain Regional High School. He also worked for General Motors
in New York City
. He and his wife were depicted in a Norman Rockwell
painting, The Marriage License (1955). He was a member of the Irish American
Club of Berkshire County
and the NBA Players Association.
Mahoney died at Springside of Pittsfield in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
, aged 80. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, two sons, and eight grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He had a brief stint in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) during the 1950s.
Biography
Born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he was a 6'2" (1.88 m) and 205 lb (93 kg) forward and he attended Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. He served in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
from 1950 to 1952, and later in the U.S. Army Reserves
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
until 1956. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1950 NBA Draft
1950 NBA Draft
The 1950 NBA Draft was the fourth annual draft of the National Basketball Association . This is the first draft after the Basketball Association of America was renamed the NBA. The draft was held on April 25, 1950 before the 1950–51 season. In this draft, 12 remaining NBA teams took turns...
by the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. He played the 1952-53 season
1952-53 NBA season
The 1952–53 NBA Season was the 7th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
with the Celtics, averaging 2.0 points, 1.2 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
and 0.2 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
per game in 6 games. His final season in the league, in 1953-54
1953-54 NBA season
The 1953–54 NBA season was the 8th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning their 5th NBA Championship in 6 years, beating the Syracuse Nationals 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
, was spent with the Baltimore Bullets, playing only two games in 11 total minutes, grabbing 2 rebounds and dishing out one assist.
After his NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
career Mahoney played for the semi-professional Lenox Merchants, and served as a basketball coach at Berkshire Community College
Berkshire Community College
Berkshire Community College is a two-year community college in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It offers associate degrees as well as a transfer program for students to earn credits for transfer to other colleges...
and the former Stockbridge School. In addition, he worked as an electrician for many years, and taught English at Berkshire Community College and Monument Mountain Regional High School. He also worked for General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He and his wife were depicted in a Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
painting, The Marriage License (1955). He was a member of the Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
Club of Berkshire County
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield...
and the NBA Players Association.
Mahoney died at Springside of Pittsfield in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, aged 80. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, two sons, and eight grandchildren.
External links
- Francis H. (Mo) Mahoney historical player profile, nba.com
- Francis Mahoney NBA stats, basketballreference.com
- Norman Rockwell - The Marriage License - Art Print, globalgallery.com