Dr. Meyer “Sol” Bloom, Class of 1909 (Submitted Photo)

The Norwich High School Sports Hall of Fame has announce the 2024 class, which includes athletes Dr. Meyer “Sol” Bloom, Doug Grzibowski, Dave Lewis, Richard “Dick” Mattice & Bryn Loomis, Rifle Team Coach Jim Sergio & the 1965 Football Team. An in-depth biography of the inductees will run Fridays in The Evening Sun.

This year’s event will be held at the Canasawacta Country Club on October 5, where a buffet dinner, will commence at 5:30 p.m., followed by the induction ceremonies at approximately 6:30 p.m. Tickets to attend are $35 and can be purchased at the front desk of the Norwich YMCA or the Norwich High School by phoning 607-334-1600, Ext 1439. Those wishing to attend just the ceremony may do so free of charge.

Dr. Meyer “Sol” Bloom: Class of 1909

by Tom Rowe

If Dr. Meyer “Sol” Bloom had never been born, he would have needed to have been invented. More than 100 years before AI (artificial intelligence) began simulating human intelligence by use of man-made machines or robots, Bloom possessed a cornucopia of talents and interests that enabled him to reach the pinnacle of each endeavor he undertook during his most remarkable life.

The son of an immigrant tailor, he excelled at every athletic endeavor he ever undertook, maintained marked superiority throughout his academic years, was a leader in his chosen field of medicine and was a champion of change for social injustice when such a stand was neither popular nor looked upon favorably by most.

As an athlete at Norwich High School, he quarterbacked the football team, was the floor leader from his forward position on the basketball five, anchored the hot corner at third base for the Tornado nine, rose to lofty heights and times in track when the Purple did not have a varsity team and participated in city men’s bowling leagues.

After achieving high classroom marks at Norwich, Bloom matriculated at Syracuse University, where he graduated cum laude in addition to playing basketball and track. He later received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Syracuse Medical School (now SUNY Upstate Medical University) and served two years with distinction as a First Lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps during World War I in France.

Returning home, Bloom opened his general practice of medicine in Binghamton. For four decades, he was one of the Parlor City’s most respected doctors and used his considerable influence to champion social and racial change not only in Binghamton but throughout his alma mater’s athletic department in Syracuse.

An article published in “A History of Binghamton and Broome County” in 1924 sang the praises of Bloom, one of the city’s youngest doctors. “Foremost in the younger group of professional men in Broome county, New York, Dr. Bloom is widely known, not only for his success in the field of medicine, but for his constructive interest in many forms of organized advance – social, fraternal, athletic and benevolent. While in college, he was interested in all college affairs and has taken his place in the larger world of life on the same footing as a man of well-rounded and indeed universal interests.”

Having graduated from high school 125 years ago, Bloom is not only the oldest NHS alumni to be so honored by the Norwich High School Sports Hall of Fame, but one of seven new inductees to be enshrined in this the 12th annual class.

Born in Ellenville, NY on April 2, 1891, to Solomon and Bertha (Markowitz) Bloom, he and his family relocated to Norwich when he was just a child. His father was a much-respected tailor for his workmanship with an office in the old Dimmick Block on North Broad Street. An advertisement in the Norwich Sun from 1905 read “Almost Everybody in Norwich Knows Sol Bloom, the Merchant Tailor.”

His father may have been adept with a needle and thread, but young Sol’s natural abilities made him tailor-made for outstanding success in athletics. In many ways his career was a forebearer of what Jim Thorpe was to accomplish at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Thorpe amazed the world by winning both the decathlon and pentathlon championships. Although Bloom was not to become an Olympic gold medal winner, he succeeded in dominating whatever sport he undertook those few years before Thorpe’s exploits. His individual accomplishments, while a Norwich High School athlete, will be documented in the remainder of this article, sport by sport.

BASKETBALL

A four-year starter for the Tornado cagers, Bloom donned his court sneakers for the first time just four years after the program began prior to the 1901-02 season. All told during his varsity tenure, the Purple produced a commendable 32-14 record.

As captain his senior year, he averaged 15.4 points per game, with season highs of 22 and 21, respectively versus Oneonta Normal (46-23) and Utica Free Academy (49-19). Norwich, which won its final nine games in charting an 11-2 log, outscored its opponents 451-247. The Tornado’s only two defeats came on the road against Syracuse University’s second team (29-13) and Oswego (24-18). All home games for the Purple were played at the Norwich YMCA, with the remainder of the club made up of Mel Eaton, Joe Hannon, J. Raymond Hawxhurst, Burdette “Dash” Hubbard, John Carey Lee and Lewis Ryan .

During his other three years on the basketball five, Norwich played its home games at a variety of venues – the Burr Opera House, the Academy of Music, the Rink (adjacent to the high school on West Main Street) and the local Y. Most of the reported games sported no box score, but Bloom made nine field goals and three free throws en route to 21 points during a 54-25 victory over Fulton at the YMCA during his sophomore campaign.

FOOTBALL

As a four-year starter for the Tornado, Bloom was the everyday Purple quarterback during his final three years in Norwich. Over those four autumns, Norwich boasted an 8-6-1 record, but individual and team statistics were hard to come by in the early days.

Bloom’s worth, though, was praised by Norwich Sun Sports Editor Perry Browne in an article from Dec. 26, 1923, when the legendary writer picked an all-time 11 for Norwich High School, after 30 years of gridiron competition.

“Doc Bloom gets the quarter position on this mythical eleven. In speaking of Bloom, the contributor of this team believes that the work of the quarterback should be confined to running the team and operating on the forward pass attack.

“In selecting a man to run the team, Bloom has no equal. He had more football grey matter than any other quarter ever developed at the Purple and White school. His decisions came with speed, and under the heaviest fire they were the greatest. He would make an accurate passer and was never confused, no matter what the opposition was in the games in which he played.”

BASEBALL

Like football, reporting on baseball games during the early 1900s was hit and miss. What is known, however, is that Bloom captained the Norwich nine in both his senior and junior seasons and played third base while batting third in the order all three of his Tornado springs.

Although a complete statistical offering of Bloom’s baseball career is not possible, excerpts from his three years on the Norwich diamond are as follows:

Senior (1909):

▪ Saturday, May 8 (Jones Field) – Norwich 11, Rome Free Academy 3. Bloom went 4-for-5 with one run scored and one stolen base.

▪ Wednesday, May 12 (at Greene) – Norwich 21, Greene 7. Bloom went 4-for-6 with two runs scored.

▪ Sunday, May 30 (Decoration Day at Jones Field) – Norwich 23, O&W/YMCA 4 (Colgate University was a no show). Bloom went 5-for-7 with four runs scored, a triple and two stolen bases. Reporting in The Chenango Telegraph: “The sensational feature of the game was a one-handed running catch of a foul fly by Bloom.”

Junior (1908):

▪ Wednesday, May 13 (Jones Field) – Norwich 13, Greene 8. Bloom went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

▪ Saturday, May 16 (at New Berlin) – Norwich 24, New Berlin 1. Bloom went 4-for-6 with three doubles and four runs scored.

Sophomore (1907):

▪ Saturday, May 25 (at New Berlin) – Norwich 21, New Berlin 8. Bloom went 4-for-5 with five runs scored, one double and one stolen base.

TRACK & FIELD

The fact that Norwich did not have a varsity track and field team did not deter Bloom from literally conquering new athletic heights.

As a one-man representative for the Tornado, Bloom put Norwich on the map with his outstanding performances at a pair of meets during the springtime of 1909.

▪ Saturday, May 15 (at Steuben Field – Hamilton College): Bloom set meet records in the pole vault (10-feet; 5-inches) and the broad jump (20-feet; 9-inches) during an interscholastic competition with Albany, Batavia, Binghamton, Clinton Prep, Gouverneur, Utica Prep and Watertown. He was named the All-Around Star Athlete of the Meet.

Both of Bloom’s record-setting marks were impressive, but when considering that he accomplished those numbers 115 years ago is truly remarkable. For instance, his pole vault leap, using what can only be imagined as something like your mother’s clothesline pole, was only 21 inches short of Joe Binelli’s New York State best of 12-feet; 2-inches in 1957. And his broad jump numbers are only 16 inches shy of Rowan Spies’ school-record mark of 22-feet; 1¼-inches, established in 1988 – nearly 80 years later – at the annual Parkhurst Invitational.

▪ Friday, May 21 (at Colgate University): Bloom placed first in the pole vault with a mark of 9-feet; 11-inches during the 8th annual meet of the Colgate University Interscholastic Track Association. Over 250 individuals competed from Canton, Cobleskill, Colgate Academy, Gouverneur, Rochester East High, Syracuse Central, Troy, Utica Free Academy, Utica Prep and Watertown, as well as Norwich’s sole entry – “Sol” Bloom.

BOWLING

Since it was years before Norwich manned a varsity bowling team, Bloom took it upon himself to compete in a variety of adult leagues throughout the city.

For two kegling seasons, he bowled at the YMCA lanes in a seven-man format on Wednesday and Friday evenings. Only five bowlers rolled in a game, but the low man after each game was forced to drop out, so that everyone could compete.

As a high school junior, he finished second in high average with a 170 mark, trailing only Louis J. Siller’s 176.

That early success on the bowling lanes was a precursor of future bowling accolades.

POST HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS

BASKETBALL

After graduating from Norwich, Bloom played three years on the Syracuse University varsity team. While playing guard and forward, he captained the squad as a senior, when he was honored as an All-American. An outstanding free throw shooter (75.4 percent during his junior season), who was the team’s designated free throw shooter, he averaged 10.3 ppg his senior year. All told, he averaged 8.0 ppg over the course of his four campaigns.

▪ Saturday, Jan. 25, 1913 – Syracuse 31, University of Pennsylvania 19. Bloom scored 11 points, and an article in The Syracuse Post Standard read, “In the game in the big Hill gymnasium Saturday the work of Captain Bloom stood out above that of his team mates (sic). While he did not score the most points, he was always at the right place at the right time. In many instances when he had opportunities to take a chance at a shot he passed the ball to some other Orange player who stood unguarded.”

▪ Monday, Jan. 27, 1913 – Syracuse 43, Colgate 20. Bloom scored a game-high 13 points, and the local article read, “At the close of the first half Colgate was in the lead with the count 13 to 11. Immediately after the resumption of hostilities, Capt. Bloom opened an assault on the visiting defense which completely baffled the Hamilton forces. Capt. Bloom, the Norwich athlete, was easily the star of the battle.”

BASEBALL

For several summers after graduating from Norwich, Bloom played for a variety of community teams, always manning his familiar third base position. And the local Norwich Sun ran cartoons of him after various offensive and defensive exploits.

▪ Friday, July 29, 1910 (at the field now adjacent to Dickie’s BBQ) – Norwich 4, Morris 3. Bloom went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a double. The postgame article in the Norwich Sun read, “The feature of the game was a brilliant catch by Sol Bloom of a liner which if he hadn’t stopped would have been good for the cemetery or farther.”

▪ Saturday, Aug. 26, 1910 – Norwich 11, Ilion 7. Bloom went 2-for-3. In an article about the game the author wrote, “rifle of an arm from Bloom at third base.”

TRACK & FIELD

Although a star basketball player at Syracuse, Bloom found time to compete for the university’s track and field team and earned a second varsity letter in that sport as a pole vaulter.

Bloom’s eldest son, David, recalled the reasoning he put so much time into bettering his pole vaulting skills. “Dad was quite an athlete. He decided to better himself at pole vaulting (while at Syracuse) when he found out he could get his meals at a special training table they had for the track and field team. Money was tight, and he just decided to put his mind to mastering it.”

In an article from May 26, 1911: “The latest addition to the list of wearers of the Syracuse block “S” is Sol Bloom of Norwich. Bloom is one of the few sophomore members of the varsity track team and in the recent dual meet between Syracuse and Michigan, was one of the five Orange athletes to secure first places. He won the pole vault event in beautiful style from Horner of Michigan. This is no small honor as Horner is conceded by all experts to be the best all-around college athlete in years.

“In the annual sophomore-freshman meet, Bloom scored in more events than any other athlete competing, winning places in the pole vault, high jump, discus throw, shot put and broad jump.

“Bloom has a bright future. His services next year will be a great asset to the team, and he should develop into one of the Orange’s most valuable athletes.”

All this a year before Thorpe put the world on his shoulders at the 1912 Olympics.

BOWLING

After competing for years in the Norwich bowling arenas as a high school student, Bloom continued his success in Binghamton, after relocating there as a doctor.

▪ Wednesday, Nov. 26, 1919: An article in The Binghamton Press noted that Bloom had won a pair of tickets to the Stone Opera House to enjoy a vaudeville show, given to the bowler who recorded the high game in the city. His game of 240, which was bowled at Gantley’s alleys, was far ahead of his nearest competitor.

▪ Thursday, March 2, 1922: An article in The Norwich Sun read, “Doctor Meyer “Sol” Bloom, who recently shattered the city bowling record for high game, high total and high average in Binghamton, was an athlete of note while a student in Norwich High School and added new laurels to his brilliant athletic record while a student in Syracuse University.

“Dr. Bloom broke the alley record for the city of Binghamton on February 11, while bowling in the Razzle Dazzle League on the American Legion alleys in the Parlor City. Bloom’s record eclipsed everything ever offered by the speed kings of the alleys and made a new notch in bowling circles that will stand for a few years in Bingo. His record smashing match follows:”

Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Total

Bloom 269 246 225 740

The Norwich Sun article continued, “While a student at Norwich High School, Bloom was one of the mainstays of the Purple and White quintet.” During the years he played basketball for NHS, the team was the undisputed champion quintet of this section of the state.

“During his first year at Syracuse University, Bloom made the frosh quintet and for three following years his work as a varsity regular was the sensation of the court in intercollegiate circles. During the season of 1912-13, Bloom was the big Orange captain and was one of the most popular men on the “hill” in the Salt City. During his athletic career in college he caused much comment in intercollegiate cage circles by virtue of his wonderful foul shooting ability on the 15-foot line.

“Not only in basketball did Bloom excel, but he was ace high in baseball and track athletics as well. His ability as a pole vaulter and his records in the running broad jump attracted the attention of Syracuse University athletic directors.”

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

After graduating from Syracuse University in 1913 and receiving his medical degree from the Syracuse University College of Medicine in 1916, Bloom opened his office for the general practice of medicine at 72 Hawley Street in Binghamton. Besides his general practice duties, he was the factory physician for the Dunn-McCarthy Shoe Company and member of the staff of the Binghamton City Hospital.

But when the United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, he enlisted at once in the Medical Reserve Corps, receiving his commission as First Lieutenant in July. Stationed at Camp Taylor in Louisville, KY for more than eight months, he received his orders to deploy overseas in early 1918. His first assignment in Europe was at St. Aignan and was later assigned to the American Embarkation District at Le Mans, Sarthe, both in France.

Bloom returned home in July 1919 and immediately resumed his medical practice in Binghamton, enjoying a most successful career until his untimely death in 1960.

At his funeral. Rabbi Jacob Hurwitz delivered a profound and touching eulogy. Some of those words are listed below.

“The sudden passing of Meyer Sol Bloom has come as a shock to the entire community. He was for so many years such an integral part of the lives of so many that the thought of his leaving is difficult to comprehend. Rarely did one person do so much for so many.

“Scarcely a day went by that he did not pause from the round of a burdensome professional career to give help and comfort to the distressed and heavy-laden. His name became a beacon of light to those who walked in life’s shadows, and tenderly he took them under the cover of his wing.

“As a physician he was in the grand tradition. The healing art was to him more than a vocation. It was the vehicle for the expression of his profound humanity. The patient was not a case; he was a person. He found Dr. Bloom a solicitous friend, a warm human being, a generous heart. For Dr. Bloom healing the sick meant soothing their pain, allaying their fear, calming their troubled spirits. For Dr. Bloom there were no higher and lower classes of men. Wellborn or humble, they had an equal claim on his interest and attention.

“His deep humanitarianism and democratic spirit were the motivating forces in his special attention to the field of industrial medicine, in which he was one of the country’s foremost pioneers. In the days when the laboring man was the stepchild of society, Dr. Bloom concentrated his energies on safeguarding their health and protecting them against the awesome ravages of unforeseen illness. And in the years of severe distress engendered by the dislocation of our country’s economy, when the wells of material sustenance had gone dry and many a workingman’s family was faced with privation and hunger, the basket at the door bearing no name, but signed only “A Friend,” bore silent tribute to the golden heart of Dr. Bloom.

“Dr. Bloom was a living example of ‘mens sane in corpore sano’ (a healthy mind in a healthy body). An outstanding athlete, he won the plaudits of a nation; and, coupled with this physical prowess, he possessed a vigorous mind and stalwart spirit. No sham or pretense could blind him to the realities of life and the world around him. He spoke up fearlessly when he considered truth and justice in jeopardy.

“No parochial attitude was his. The entire community was his concern, and he was an integral part of its every force. Civic, fraternal, communal, cultural – in every aspect of organized endeavor, Dr. Bloom’s presence could be felt. In time of war he served his country with gallantry, and in time of peace he served mankind with honor.

“Of his departure it can be said, ‘Like some proud river winding toward the sea, calmly and grandly, silently and deep, life joined eternity.’”

In addition to his highly-respected medical profession, Bloom remained an ardent sports fan and sought to right the racial and social injustices that permeated that world. For decades, he volunteered as a high school basketball and football referee, and was never shy about sending tips to Syracuse coaches concerning talented prospects he observed.

He was also a founding member of the Anti-Defamation League and an outspoken supporter of racially integrated education. He made a point of highlighting promising African American athletes in his informal scouting reports and, if given the go-ahead, he acted as a recruiter on behalf of the university.

Among Syracuse alumni, there probably was no one more active in fighting to secure the advantages of racial diversity in the Syracuse athletic department than Bloom. Two such black athletes who benefitted from Bloom’s influence were Wilmeth Sidat-Singh and William Haskins Jr.

Sidat-Singh, a star basketball and football player from DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx, managed to receive a basketball scholarship to Syracuse at a time when head coach Lew Andreas made no secret of his opposition to admitting black students to the program. Sidat-Singh, however, was light-skinned and the speculation is that Bloom used the “Hindu” ruse to get past Andreas. Sidat-Singh, who graduated from Syracuse in 1939, went on to become a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.

Haskins, who was a track star and running back for Binghamton High, broke two New York State high school sprinting records, but he did not know it until he was in college because his high school coaches had not bothered to tell him. Bloom, however, kept a close eye on Binghamton-area high school sports, was well aware of Haskin’s prowess and recruited him for Syracuse.

In addition to playing halfback for the football team, he won letters in track and gymnastics. After graduating in 1952, he went on to earn a master’s degree in sociology from Columbia University and held leadership positions in such organizations as the Urban League and the National Boys Club.

PERSONAL LIFE

As was noted earlier, Bloom was born in Ellenville, NY to Sol and Bertha Bloom. The family, which also included his four sisters – Pauline, Sarah, Henrietta and Esther – relocated to Norwich during the late 19th century.

He married Helene Ruth Sheldon and together they raised two sons – David Myron and John Edward, both of whom went on to successful medical careers of their own.

He practiced general medicine for 41 years in Binghamton, where he suffered a fatal heart attack on Wednesday morning, May 4, 1960. He is buried at Wood Lawn Cemetery in Johnson City, NY.

On a more laughable note, Bloom was roasted by the NHS seniors during Class Day Exercises on May 29, 1908. “To Meyer Bloom, the enthusiastic athletic youth captain of the NHS baseball team, we bequeath sundry items such as a gentle, kind and obliging old man on Silver Street; a convenient front door on South Broad Street for use during Smith College vacations; also a sixth sense, which will enable him to make his adieus at a proper, seasonable hour.”

Throughout his life’s long list of athletic and professional achievements, Meyer “Sol” Bloom never forgot the importance of integrity. He gained success and respect in almost everything he decided to undertake, the least of which was taking a stand for the fairness and betterment of his fellow man.

Having graduated from Norwich 115 years ago, it was a difficult task to locate any of Bloom’s relatives. Through the efforts of Rich Turnbull, his grandson, Peter, was found and was more than ecstatic over the honor to be bestowed upon his grandfather.

“Sol Bloom was my grandfather and is my personal hero. I keep a picture of him in my office and look at it every morning to remind myself to strive to live his values,” emphasized Peter (Bloom). “Following World War I, he moved to Binghamton where he built a thriving practice as a family physician. He worked tirelessly to improve the lives of local factory workers and is credited as one of the pioneers of modern industrial medicine.

“It’s really hard to overstate the impact he had on his patients, his community and especially his family. At his funeral, an unknown African American man was in attendance. My family only learned at that moment, without telling anyone or seeking any acknowledgement that my grandfather helped finance that man’s son, Billy Haskins Jr. (as noted under the sub-heading professional career), through college at Syracuse. Not surprisingly, Sol would extend his hand to anyone, regardless of race or religion.”

The Bloom family wishes to keep Sol’s memory alive, following the induction ceremony, by funding a scholarship in perpetuity at Norwich High School that will award an annual college scholarship of $1,000 to a deserving Norwich athlete, who hopefully goes on to honor Sol Bloom through their own future achievements in college and in life.

Although his name is not readily known to most past and present Norwich High School students, his story should make it so. Sam Cooke’s “(It’s Been A Long Time Coming But) A Change Is Gonna Come” summarizes his final triumph – induction, at long last, into the Norwich High School Sports Hall of Fame.

During the preponderance of Bloom’s high school days, Theodore Roosevelt was sitting as this country’s 26th president. And “old rough and ready” would likely have exclaimed “Bully, Bully” because of this long overdue honor bestowed upon him.

To paraphrase Smokey Robinson, “I Second That Emotion.”