David Walsh
Inducted:
1961
Stats
5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m)
165 pounds (75 kg)
Born
October 5, 1889
Hoboken, New Jersey
Died:
June 2, 1975
Boca Raton, Florida
Position:
NBA Referee
College:
Sargent School of Physical Education (1914)
David H. Walsh was a pioneering basketball referee, coach, and teacher whose nearly five-decade career helped shape officiating in the early years of organized basketball. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Walsh began officiating in 1911, working high school, college, and professional games before joining the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League (EIBL) in 1914. He eventually became one of the most highly regarded referees on the Eastern seaboard.
Walsh also coached Demarest High School from 1911 to 1933, leading the program to the 1924 New Jersey State Championship. From 1941 to 1956, he served as associate director of the Collegiate Basketball Officials Bureau and supervised officials for the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Walsh was also a longtime member of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) and co-authored the first Manual of Basketball Officiating.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961 as a Referee.
Walsh's Awards and Honors
- 1924 New Jersey State Champion as coach of Demarest High School
- Ranked among the top referees in the Eastern seaboard
- Longtime member of IAABO
- Associate director of the Collegiate Basketball Officials Bureau
- Co-author of the first Manual of Basketball Officiating
NBA Position
NBA referee
NBA Stats
Officiating Career:
1911 onward
Career Spanning:
45 Years
Refereeing Rank:
One of the top six
EIBL Membership:
From 1914
IAABO Member:
1922–1956