Spinning through the spirit and tradition of Hoosier hoops history
On Sunday, March 6, around 17,000 IU basketball fans will enter Bloomington’s hallowed Assembly Hall for the final regular season game against Maryland. They will celebrate Senior Day and also the Hoosiers capturing, earlier this week, their 22nd Big Ten championship and their second outright title under head coach Tom Crean. In doing so, they’ll automatically become part of Assembly Hall history, joining the legions of IU fans over many decades who have been treated to championship performances.
IU student Julia Kilgore inspects one of the original turnstiles from Assembly Hall that recently found a new home at the IU Archives.
As it’s been widely reported, those who want a more tangible piece of the tradition of Hoosier hoops can purchase one of the old turnstiles used in the arena, which are currently being auctioned off by IU’s Surplus Store. Bidding on 24 turnstiles that were used at Assembly Hall from 1971-2014 — during which time the Hoosiers won three NCAA championships — began in mid-February, and the final turnstile (turnstile No. 1) is set to be auctioned Monday, April 4, in time for the tipoff of this year’s NCAA Championship game.
Turns out there’s more, though, to what’s turned out to be a slam-dunk story for diehard Hoosier fans.
In the true cream and crimson spirit, the IU Surplus Store, with a timely assist from IU Athletics, recently offered up one of the turnstiles from the auction (No. 16) to the IU Archives, steward of the largest and most comprehensive gathering of information on the history and culture of IU.
The turnstile has been delivered, and fans and other interested parties can find it in the Archives’ reading room, located on the fourth floor of the East Tower of the Herman B Wells Library. The space is open to any visitor who wants to see the turnstile and, yes, even take a selfie with it from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Perey New York label adorns the Assembly Hall turnstiles. The company still is in business today.
Of course, members of the Archives wouldn’t be the great caretakers of IU tradition and history as they are if they didn’t delve into a little history behind the turnstiles that have Hoosier Nation happily spinning through years of proud basketball memories. Their search revealed a number of interesting tidbits about the turnstiles, designed and manufactured by Perey New York (est. 1913), which, remarkably, is still in business. The company’s various styles of turnstiles have taken their place through the years in some of the most historic venues spanning the areas of sports and entertainment, government and public service, and business, including Ebbets Field, the Federal Reserve Banks, Disneyland, Lockheed Missiles and Space, Churchill Downs and the transit authorities of both Chicago and New York City.
Indeed, from the first moment the turnstiles were installed at Assembly Hall, in 1971, they served as the front gate to number of momentous occasions that what would quickly become par for an arena that sportscaster Gus Johnson once famously called “the Carnegie Hall of basketball.” Among the events that took place during that first year were:
- The Homecoming Variety Show, featuring celebrity entertainers Bob Hope and Petula Clark, on Oct. 23, 1971.
- The first men’s basketball game ever played at Assembly Hall on Dec. 1, 1971, an 84-77 win over Ball State and the first of coach Bobby Knight’s 659 victories at the helm of the Hoosiers.
- The dedication of Branch McCracken Memorial Basketball Floor on Dec. 18, 1971, coinciding with a 94-29 win over Notre Dame.
Assembly Hall hosted its first IU men’s basketball game on Dec. 1, 1971. The Hoosiers defeated Ball State 84-77, giving coach Bob Knight the first of his 659 wins as IU head coach.
Of course, many more Hoosier hoops victories would follow in the four-plus decades to follow, along with national championships, Big Ten championships, an undefeated season, concerts by Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones and other major headliners, visits from presidential candidates, graduation ceremonies and much more. These turnstiles have truly seen it all, and Hoosier fans can now take great pleasure and pride in knowing that it will only take a quick trip to the Archives to take a whirl through IU’s time-tested tradition and spirit.
Tags: Assembly Hall turnstiles, IU Archives, IU Athletics, IU Basketball, IU Hoosiers, IU libraries, IU men's basketball, IU Surplus Store, Perey New York, sports auctions, turnstiles
