Roman Turmon
 Turmon with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1959 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1933 Shady Dale, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | June 9, 2001 (aged 68) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Thomaston Training (Thomaston, Georgia) |
| College | Clark Atlanta (1950–1954) |
| NBA draft | 1954: undrafted |
| Playing career | 1959–1964 |
| Position | Forward |
| Career history | |
| 1959–1964 | Allentown Jets |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Roman "Doc" Turmon (March 14, 1933 – June 9, 2001) was an American professional basketball player.
High school and college career
[edit]Turmon was born on March 14, 1933,[1] and was a native of Shady Dale, Georgia.[2] He was a three-time all-state selection in basketball and football while he attended Thomaston Training School in Thomaston, Georgia.[3] Turmon became the first athlete to receive a full scholarship to Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University).[3] He was named all-conference in basketball, football and track and field specializing in shot put while at Clark.[3] Turmon led the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) tournament in scoring as a freshman in 1951.[4] He helped lead the basketball team to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) championship in 1954.[3] His 21.9 rebounds per game is the eighth highest career total in NCAA Division II history.[5]
Playing career
[edit]Turmon played for the Harlem Globetrotters and was named the team's most valuable player in 1958.[3] He joined the Allentown Jets of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) in 1959 and played with the team for five seasons.[1] Turmon was named the EPBL Most Valuable Player in 1962 and earned four consecutive All-EPBL team appearances.[1] Despite standing at only 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m),[6] he led the league in rebounds for two seasons: 582 in 1960–61,[7] and 538 in 1961–62.[8] The Jets were EPBL champions in 1962 and 1963.[9][10]
Later life
[edit]In 1964, Turmon was reading The New York Times when he noticed an advertisement offering Chicken Delight franchises.[11] He had been saving money from his athletic career for a future business investment and signed with Chicken Delight officials.[11] Turmon opened his first store in Harlem, New York, and broke all records for opening-day sales in the chain.[11] He and his brother-in-law opened a second store in Brooklyn.[11] Turmon grossed $35,000 a month from his business in 1966.[11] He operated the two franchises for 14 years.[3][12]
Turmon died on June 9, 2001, in Manhattan, New York.[2]
Turmon was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.[3]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Roman Turmon minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- 1 2 "Deaths and Funerals". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. June 15, 2001. p. 42. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Class of 2009". Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ↑ "Clark's Roman Turmon SIAC High Scorer". The Afro-American. March 24, 1951. p. 26. Retrieved July 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "DIVISION II MEN'S BASKETBALL RECORDS" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ↑ Groller, Keith (November 27, 1993). "New Jets Need Players Caliber of Original Jets". The Morning Call. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ↑ "1960-61 Eastern Professional Basketball League Leaders". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ↑ "1961-62 Eastern Professional Basketball League Leaders". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ↑ "1961-62 Eastern Professional Basketball League". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ↑ "1962-63 Eastern Professional Basketball League". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Poinsett, Alex (July 1966). "A $65 Billion Gold Mine". Ebony. No. 21. p. 89. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ↑ Frederick, Dave (January 19, 2021). "Old-school basketball and community connections". Cape Gazette. Retrieved May 1, 2022.