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{{Short description|American sports businessman (1923–2009)}}
{{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.
[[Image:Pollin01.jpg|thumb|Abe Pollin (center) with [[Michael Jordan]] (left) and [[Bill Clinton]] (right)]]


==Biography==
'''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]].
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 graduated from [[George Washington University]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] in 1945, where he was a member of [[Zeta Beta Tau]], a historically [[Jew]]ish fraternity. Abe Pollin is a member of the Levy family as well. A successful construction contractor in the Washington area, he headed an investment group that bought the then [[Washington Wizards|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."


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."
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 DC community and the impact they have on it. Winners of the award have included [[Harvey C. Barnum, Jr.]], 2005 [[Teacher of the Year]], [[Jason Kamras]] and 2006 [[Miss District of Columbia]], [[Kate Michael]].


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]].
On December 3, 2003, a party was held in honor of Abe Pollin's 80th birthday at the Verizon Center. A slideshow was presented about the history of Abe's career as owner of the Bullets/Wizards. [[Tony Bennett]] also performed there.


==Holdings==
==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>
Pollin is the chairman of the board, chief executive, and the majority [[shareholder]] of his company, [[Washington Sports and Entertainment]], which owns the Wizards and the [[Verizon Center]], amongst other entertainment interests. He was also the builder and owner of the [[Capital Centre]], former home of the Wizards and Capitals.
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==
== Personal Life ==
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==
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==
In their 45th season of ownership of the franchise, Irene and Abe Pollin hold the distinction of being the longest-tenured owners in the National Basketball Association. Since becoming owners in 1964, the Pollin's have watched the NBA become the standard by which all other professional sports leagues are measured, as it exploded in growth from a small, regional league to a worldwide presence.
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
Irene and Abe Pollin have been at the center of some of the NBA’s most historic events during their distinguished time at the helm of the Washington Bullets/Wizards. In 1978, they reached the pinnacle of the NBA when their Bullets, behind the play of Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes and Bob Dandridge, defeated Seattle and brought a World Championship to Washington. In the summer of 1979, Pollin took his Bullets to Asia to lead the NBA’s first ever venture into China, forging the way for the NBA to become a global entity.
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/Abe_Pollin_Bio-44212-56.html Wizards 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}}
As the majority owners of Washington Sports & Entertainment Limited Partnership, the Pollin’s oversee the operations of the Washington Wizards, Washington/Baltimore Ticketmaster and in-house promoter Musicentre Productions, as well as the management of Verizon Center and The George Mason University Patriot Center.
{{Washington Capitals}}


{{Authority control}}
Thirty-five years ago, the Pollin’s opened the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, the new home for their Baltimore Bullets, and applied for a National Hockey League expansion franchise. The Capital Centre opened on December 2, 1973, and it was what Verizon Center is today -- a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility that became the standard for new arenas throughout the world.


The Capital Centre, aptly named by Irene Pollin, was built in a record 15 months and boasted a plethora of unique features including electronic ticketing, one-of-a-kind luxury suite accommodations and the never-before-seen telescreen. It was the premier arena in its time, as it hosted a wide range of events from sports to concerts, and even presidential galas.

But as time and the sports and entertainment industry changed, the Pollin’s realized that their teams were no longer playing in the “best” facility in their respective leagues. In 1964, when the Pollin’s and two partners purchased the Baltimore Bullets, they had dreams that someday the team would play in a brand-new facility in the nation’s capital. Once again, they seized the opportunity to make their dreams a reality.

After the long years of planning and building Verizon Center, the Pollin’s watched as their dreams came true on December 2, 1997, when a sellout crowd filled Verizon Center to watch the Wizards host the arena’s first event versus the Seattle Supersonics. Since that time, the downtown Chinatown neighborhood has sprung to life with almost 26 million people having spun the turnstiles at Verizon Center to be a part of close to 2,200 concerts, family shows and world-class sporting events. The 2007-08 NBA season marked the 10th Anniversary of the opening of Verizon Center in downtown Washington; a milestone celebrated with a series of special community events and building accolades. Nominated for Arena of the Year for the first time by leading trade publication, Pollstar, Verizon Center also saw the installation of the first true indoor, high-definition, light emitting diode (LED) display scoreboard for an arena in the country, once again putting the building on the cutting edge of technology and ahead of the curve.

“I had two goals when I decided to build this building,” said Abe Pollin. “The first was that if I was building in downtown Washington, the nation’s capital, it had to be the best building of its kind in the country. The second was to be the catalyst that turned the city around.”

In 1998, as the Wizards completed their first season at Verizon Center, the Pollin’s WNBA franchise, the Washington Mystics, made history of their own. The Mystics made their Verizon Center debut on June 19, 1998 in front of 20,674 fans — the largest crowd ever to attend a women’s professional basketball game in the United States. And while the Mystics’ beginnings under the Pollin’s guidance were historic in their own right, their purchase by Sheila Johnson and Lincoln Holdings was of similar significance. In May of 2005, the Pollin’s facilitated the sale of their Mystics to Sheila Johnson as the Mystics President and Managing Partner, and brought Johnson to Lincoln Holdings, a minority partner in Washington Sports & Entertainment. With Lincoln Holdings’ stake in the NBA’s Wizards and the NHL’s Capitals, Johnson became the first African-American woman to have ownership interest in three professional sports franchises.

While the sports industry is full of astute business professionals, what distinguishes Irene and Abe Pollin from their peers is their commitment to social responsibility. They share a passionate need to give back to the community and have made helping people a way of life. Their philanthropic and humanitarian endeavors know no bias or boundaries, which is evident by the numerous public service and community organizations to which they selflessly devote enormous time and energy.

Abe Pollin serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Council, is Honorable Chairman of the Salvation Army’s Leadership Committee for Centers of Hope and Co-Chair of the Community Capital Campaign for N Street Village in the District. He is also the co-sponsor of the “I Have a Dream Foundation” and he personally guaranteed a college education for 55 students. Recent philanthropic endeavors of the Pollin’s have included the re-launch of the Abe’s Table program to feed the underserved in the DC community and financial sponsorship of Gilbert Arenas’ Gilbert Scores for Schools program, through which the Pollin’s donated $100 for every point that Arenas scored in select Wizards games during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons to a different Washington area school each game (a donation that exceeded $300,000 last season alone). Most recently, in August of 2008, the Pollin’s donated $1,000,000 to the Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - CUREPSP - to establish a fund to support research in corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and to find the cause and cure for the rare neurological disease, a disease which Mr. Pollin was diagnosed with several years ago.

“I grew up in a house where both of my parents were very much involved in helping others,” said Pollin. “My philosophy is that those of us who are on the giving end rather than the receiving end are very lucky.”

Not surprisingly, recognition of the Pollin’s accomplishments are just as impressive as the deeds they acknowledge. The recent years have been landmark ones for Pollin, as he has received numerous awards and accolades recognizing his accomplishments in professional sports and contributions to community service.

Pollin was awarded the Duke Ziebert Capital Achievement Award for his efforts in revitalizing downtown Washington, D.C. He has also been the recipient of the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, presented by the U.S. Army, the 1996 Robert F. Kennedy-Martin Luther King, Jr. Award, presented by the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, the 1996 United Cerebral Palsy Achievement Award and the 1997 Jewish Leadership Award. In 2006, Pollin was honored for his contributions to the world of sports and his community when the United States Sports Academy tabbed him for their Distinguished Service Award. On December 3, 2007, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty proclaimed “Abe Pollin Day” in the District of Columbia in honor of Abe Pollin’s 84th birthday and all of his contributions to the city. In addition to proclaiming Abe Pollin Day, the Mayor unveiled F Street NW between 6th and 7th Streets NW as “Abe Pollin Way.”

As if the years of experience with the Bullets/Wizards, Capital Centre and Verizon Center were not challenging enough, Irene Pollin is a noted health care professional with over 28 years of experience in the field. In 1976, she created the first Medical Crisis Counseling Center developed to treat patients and families coping with chronic illness. Since then, she has developed Medical Crisis Counseling Centers at Washington Hospital Center as well as additional facilities in surrounding communities.

Irene Pollin has forged a dynamic reputation as a psychiatric social worker and lecturer in the department of psychiatry at Harvard University. As president and founder of the Linda and Kenneth Pollin Foundation, she serves on a number of national advisory boards and commissions in fields of both mental and women’s health, and is the founder and chairperson of the Sister to Sister — Everyone Has a Heart Foundation, an organization whose aim is to increase women’s awareness of heart disease and provide free cardiac screenings.

In addition to lecturing in the academic community, Irene Pollin has been a guest on national and local broadcast shows including the Today show, Nightline with Ted Koppel, Good Day New York, National Public Radio and USA Today Sports Radio. She also has published numerous articles and is the author of two books, Medical Crisis Counseling — Short-Term Therapy for Long-Term Illness and Taking Charge — Overcoming the Challenges of Long-Term Illness.

She has served as a board member of numerous organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Smithsonian Institution, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, National Kidney Foundation, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Society for Women’s Health Research, National Cancer Institute, National Rehabilitation Hospital, the National Institute of Mental Health, the U.S. Committee for the Washington, D.C. United Nations Fund for Women, the National Institutes for Health Foundation and the Office of Women’s Health at NIH. Outside of the health field, Irene Pollin has served on the board for the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Opera. In addition, she has given back to her alma mater by serving on the Board of American University (for 11 years), the American University Executive Committee and the Development Committee at American University, and being the guiding force behind the development of the new American University Library. In the spring of 2007, Irene Pollin received an honorary doctorate degree from Howard University.

Irene and Abe Pollin together established the Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research, administered annually by New York Presbyterian Hospital. The first Pollin Prize was awarded on November 15, 2002, to four international scientists for their work in Oral Dehydration Therapy, hailed as the most important medical discovery of the 20th century.

Abe Pollin moved with his family to the Washington area from Philadelphia when he was eight. He graduated from The George Washington University in 1945 and went to work for his family’s construction company for 12 years. Irene Pollin, a native of St. Louis, received a Bachelor’s Degree from American University, and then earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Catholic University. In 1957, the Pollin’s launched their own construction company and, as a local contractor, built several large apartment houses and office buildings, one of which featured the first-ever rooftop pool in Washington.

The Pollin’s enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. Robert, the elder of the Pollin’s two sons, lives in Amherst, MA, with his wife Sigrid, where they are both professors at the University of Massachusetts. Robert, an economics professor, and Sigrid, an architect, have two daughters, Emma and Hannah. The Pollin’s younger son, James, is the President of The Pollin Group/MedEdatSea, a travel business specializing in cruises. Irene and Abe Pollin reside in Bethesda, Maryland.



* Abe Pollin is [[Jewish]]<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Wizards</ref>
* Abe Pollin has owned the [[Capitol Centre]] for 35 years.
8Abe and Irene have been married for 65 years.

== External links ==
*[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]

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

[[Category:Washington Capitals owners]]

[[Category:Jews from Pennsylvania]]
{{1920s-US-hoops-bio-stub}}

Latest 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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

  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.

External links[edit]

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