April 27, 2009
When Solly Walker '57CBA began his academic and athletic career
at St. John’s University in the early 1950s, little did he know
that he was taking his first steps along a path that would lead him
to become a legend in New York City. Solly came to St. John’s
from Boys High School in Brooklyn, where he excelled both in the
classroom and on the basketball court, earning All-Scholastic and
All-American honors. He continued his outstanding
achievements at St. John’s, leading his team in scoring, assists
and rebounding.
It
wasn’t easy to be a Black man playing college sports during the era
of Jim Crow. As one of the first Black college basketball
players, Solly had to confront instances of racial discrimination
when the St. John’s team traveled to play colleges and universities
in locations across the country. He was forced to deal with
segregated rest rooms, water fountains and other public facilities,
and on one occasion was refused meal service in a dining room,
being relegated to eating away from his teammates in the
kitchen.
Solly faced these unpleasant experiences with the quiet dignity
and genuine respect for others that would characterize him for the
rest of his life. He put aside the opportunity to play
professional basketball, choosing instead to embark upon a career
in education that would allow him to make a difference in the lives
of thousands of young people both academically and
athletically.
Beginning as a recreation teacher with the Bureau of Continuing
Education of the New York City Board of Education even prior to his
graduation from St. John’s, his abilities to teach and inspire
earned him promotions into the ranks of administration and,
ultimately, a principalship. The classroom, however, was
always his first love. “I loved the classroom,” he
said. “I always wanted to be with the kids there on the front
lines. I became a family counselor, meeting with the kids and
their families, making home visits, looking for kids who weren’t
coming to school, going with them to court if they got into
trouble,”
Solly’s day didn’t end when the last classroom bell rang in the
late afternoon. His commitment to the youth of New York led
him to serve as a night center director, where he mentored and
inspired young men while teaching them the intricacies of his
beloved sport of basketball. “I was a teacher in the daytime
and worked in recreation programs at night,” he remarked. “I
had the best of both worlds.”
Now retired, Solly Walker looks back upon his life with a sense
of accomplishment. He is grateful for the opportunity to have
made a difference in so many lives, and hopes that many of them
have reached out to others in similar fashion. He credits the
University for instilling the values that have stayed with him
throughout his life. “The values that I learned at St. John’s
have always been important to me,” he said. “St. John’s
prepared me for life. It gave me the tools I needed to have a
wonderful profession and the values I needed to raise a family in
the best way.”
Looking back on his career and his life, Solly Walker is pleased
to offer some advice to the young people of today. “Time is
precious. Every day is precious. Don’t waste time,
because a day lost you can never get back again. If you keep
yourself occupied and on track, there’s nothing that you can’t
do.”