Charles "Tex" Harrison played for the Eagles from 1950 to 1954. North Carolina College had a 28-6 record for 1950-51, an 18-10 record for 1951-52, and 17-7 record for 1952-53, and a 24-7 record for 1953-54. Harrison scored 1,304 points (499 field goals, 306 free throws) and had a per game scoring average of 14.82 points. Harrison subsequently joined the Harlem Globetrotters, and has been associated with the Globetrotters throughout most of his subsequent career as a player and long-time coach.
HOUSTON, Texas - Charles "Tex" Harrison, a Harlem Globetrotters legend who played basketball at NCCU in the 1950s, passed away on Nov. 20, 2014, at the age of 81.
Harrison scored 1,304 points as an Eagle from 1950-54 under coaches John McLendon and Floyd Brown, and was inducted into the NCCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984.
He spent six decades as a player, coach and advisor with the Harlem Globetrotters. During his Globetrotters career, Harrison had tea with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, and he performed for three Popes. He did everything from playing alongside the immortal Wilt Chamberlin, to joining several teammates on the "Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine," a 1972 television variety series where players sang, danced and performed comedy sketches.
During a tour in Moscow, which included a nine-game exhibition, he ate caviar with late Russian First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev. Harrison and the team also received the Athletic Order of Lenin Medal in 1959 – during the Cold War – an event that solidified Harrison and the Globetrotters as global ambassadors.
"We have lost one of the greatest members of the Globetrotters family," said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider. "Few can match Tex's commitment and contributions to the team. From the day I joined the organization in 2007, I learned many things from Tex about the team's heritage – things that he passed on to our new generation of Globetrotters. His wisdom, down-to-earth demeanor and sharp wit will certainly be missed."
Born in Gary, Indiana, and raised in Houston, Harrison was discovered in 1954, when he faced the Globetrotters as a member of the College All-American team during the World Series of Basketball. While at North Carolina Central University in Durham – where he earned a degree in physical education – Harrison became the first player from a historically African-American college to capture All-American honors. Harrison received the nickname "Tex" in college by being a very recognizable 6-3 Texan attending school in North Carolina.
"
Aside from my family, being a Harlem Globetrotter has been the greatest highlight of my life," Harrison once said. "I have had the good fortune to be a part of the most celebrated sports team in history."
Known to be one of the quickest players to ever play the game, Harrison estimated he traveled to more than 100 countries during his illustrious career with the Globetrotters, spending 18 years as a player before becoming a coach and advisor.
Harrison was honored by the Globetrotters with the team's "Legends" Ring – presented to those who have made a contribution outside of basketball and played a role in the development of the Globetrotters brand – on Jan. 26, 1996, in Houston.
Harlem Globetrotters Story:
http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/news/harlem-globetrotters-mourn-loss-team-legend-tex-harrison
Sam Jones (41) and Charles "Tex" Harrison (37) in 1953-54 NCC team photo.
