Harry Markson

Harry Markson (March 10, 1906 – November 10, 1998) was an American boxing publicist and promoter who organized fights at Madison Square Garden for nearly 40 years.

Early life and education Harry Markson was born March 10, 1906, in Kingston, New York, in the United States. In 1927, Markson graduated from Union College in Schenectady.

Career The Union College graduate had an early career as a reporter for the Bronx Home News and became their sportswriter.

In October 1948, the Twentieth Century Sporting Club made several changes in the front office of the promotional organization. Harry Markson, who was the publicity chief, became the managing director of the Twentieth Century Sporting Club. He was retained by James Norris, who controlled the International Boxing Club of New York. He was responsible for signing fighters and staging matches.

A Supreme Court ruling on boxing monopoly forced Norris to give up control of the boxing program in 1959, while the new management kept Markson.

In 1962, the boxing promoter made the decisive move to ban Sugar Ray Robinson from fighting at Madison Square Garden, believing the legendary fighter should retire.

The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) honored Markson with the James J. Walker Memorial Award (now Barney Nagler Award) in 1963 for his "long and meritorious service" to boxing.

He had always gotten along with Muhammad Ali. Markson's management played a role in staging Cassius Clay vs. Doug Jones in 1963.

While in Rome in 1967 to negotiate with Italian boxer Nino Benvenuti, he had the opportunity to meet Pope Paul VI. When introduced to the pope as Harry Markson of Madison Square Garden, the pontiff held up his hands in the classic boxer's pose and said, "Ah, Madison Square Garden—boxing". Markson called it an "incubator" for promising fighters. The Markson-Brenner team helped to develop Joe Frazier's career, featuring him several times at Madison Square Garden. and earned $1,353,000 from ticket sales, the largest amount for any indoor sports event anywhere. After retiring, he remained honorary president of the Madison Square Garden Boxing Club, acting as a consultant to Brenner. He and his wife moved to Little Silver, New Jersey in 1974 after 35 years of living in Brooklyn.

In a February 1993 article in the New York Times, he remarked, "I don't like the fact that boxing is a casino sport. It doesn't belong there, it belongs in an arena. It should be in the mainstream of sports, just like basketball or any other major sport. I'm not happy about it, and I'm glad I'm not a part of it."

Death Harry Markson died at 92 years old on November 11, 1998, in Red Bank, New Jersey, United States. He was later inducted into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame with the class of 2015.

The Harry Markson Award (now Ali-Frazier Award) was awarded by the Boxing Writers Association of America for fight of the year.

Teddy Brenner, his former matchmaking partner, said, "Harry was a cultured guy who was as happy watching opera as being at a boxing match, but he was also a tough guy in a tough business."