1925 Glens Falls area — Al Smith’s son ate dinner here

The son of Governor Al Smith ate here.

Downtown Glens Falls hotel and restaurant owner D. J. Fitzgerald treated the Christian Brothers Academy basketball team and others to dinner after the team’s victory over Glens Falls Academy, The Post-Star reported on Jan. 19, 1925.

“Spectators, several local basketball enthusiasts, and members of the St. Mary’s Academy varsity were guests of Mr. Fitzgerald’s also.”

Among the guests was Arthur Smith, son of the governor, a Christian Brothers Academy student who was “an ardent sportsman.”

Fitzgerald, a local Democratic leader and personal friend of the governor, was a booster of Saint Mary’s Academy, which was set to play Saint Mary’s a few days later.

In the earlier game, Christian Brothers Academy, of Troy, defeated Glens Falls Academy 32–23 in overtime.

“It was a game replete with exciting situations, the score being tied many times, and each team at different moments having leads that, while not large, seemed sufficiently sizable to bring victory, but were in each case overcome by counter rallies layered amongst the high enthusiasm of the spectators.”

The game was tied 14–14 at half time.

Glens Falls Academy was ahead well into the fourth quarter before Christian Brothers Academy tied it up in the final seconds, sending the game into overtime.

“Glens Falls entered the final two minutes with a three-point lead, a lead that most of the spectators thought big enough to be the victory margin, but a slip in the last seconds gave an opposing forward an unimpeded dribble to the basket and so the game remained to be won.”

In other 1925 Glens Falls news collected from historic newspapers of the region:

• There was a move to replace manpower with machinery in the clearing of snow from city streets.

“If the city would have its own tractor, we should not have to wait until two or three days after a blizzard to have the streets in passable condition. Without a tractor, the fire hazard is greater after a big storm like that of Thursday night. … We should look forward to a time when a municipal tractor will be our right, and early after a heavy snowfall, opening all the principal roads at top speed,” The Post-Star editorialized on Jan. 31.

“The Monday Reading Club will meet Monday evening at 7:30 at the home of Mrs. Lyman Jenkins, 34 Grove Avenue. The paper will be the life of Rudyard Kipling read by Mrs. James Patterson,” The Post-Star reported on Jan. 31.

Click here to read the most recent previous 1925 Glens Falls area news post.