Ernie Vandeweghe
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Ernest Maurice "Ernie" Vandeweghe Jr. (born September 12, 1928 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was a former professional basketball player who played for Oceanside High School before playing for the New York Knicks of the NBA. Vandeweghe is the father of former NBA All-Star (and former NBA executive) Kiki Vandeweghe. In addition to his NBA playing career, he is also a physician who served in the United States Air Force. He is the husband of 1952 Miss America pageant winner Colleen Kay Hutchins.
A 6'3" guard, Vandeweghe played collegiately for the Colgate University Raiders, where he was an All-American. He was drafted by the Knicks in the 1949 BAA Draft, and played in the NBA for six seasons. While playing for the Knicks, Vandeweghe also studied medicine. After retiring from the NBA in 1956, Vandeweghe served as a physician for the Air Force; while stationed overseas in Germany he and his wife became the parents of Kiki. In addition, he had two other children who were world-class athletes; his daughter Tauna won a U.S. national swimming championship in the backstroke (and competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics), and his son Bruk medalled in beach volleyball in the 1994 Goodwill Games.
Not only did Vandeweghe study medicine while playing for the Knicks, he studied at what is widely considered to be among the most rigorous and intensely demanding medical schools in the world, namely, Columbia University, college of physicians and surgeons, a feat that has to rank as among the most impressive in either athletics or medicine.
<-- Vandeweghe's key role with the Knicks was as a substitute coming off the bench usually in the third or fourth quarter to rally the team to victory. Knick fans of the era would often see him dashing into Madison Square Garden from a late class at Columbia practically changing into his uniform on the run and reporting immediately to the scorer's bench. Such was his effectiveness in his back-up capacity, he became known as the first important "sixth man" in NBA history and "Doctor Vandeweghe to the rescue" was an oft shouted rallying cry resounding through the Garden during his years with the team.-->
Dr. Vandeweghe has also served as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and served on the Olympic Sports Commission under President Gerald Ford, where he assisted with development of two key pieces of sports legislation--Title IX and the 1976 Amateur Athletic Act. Currently, he is a senior vice president with Focus Partners LLC, a New-York-based financial services firm, and a consultant with the United States Golf and Fitness Association. He also occasionally provides commentary for several sports publications.
