John Roosma
American military officer and basketball player
About John Roosma
Lived 1900 – 1983 (aged 83). John Roosma was an American basketball player, baseball player and military officer.
John Sieba Roosma (September 3, 1900 – November 13, 1983) was an amateur basketball player during the 1920s. He played for the United States Military Academy for five years, graduating in 1926. The Passaic, New Jersey native was a prolific scorer and became the first college player to total 1,000 points for his career.
As a member of Ernest Blood's Passaic "Wonder Teams" Roosma gained almost legendary status already in high school on a team that won 179 consecutive games. Roosma captained the team and led them as scorer in three state tournaments (1919–21). After graduating from Passaic High School in 1921, General Douglas MacArthur recruited Roosma to play for the Army Black Knights. In five years the Roosma-led Black Knights compiled a 73–13 record and won 33 consecutive games at one point. After a 74-game career, Roosma totaled 1,126 points, being the first college player to score more than 1,000 in his career (Christian Steinmetz held the record with 950 points, in 40 games played in three years overall). Roosma was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961. West Point's basketball Most Valuable Player award is named after him.
Roosma became a colonel in the US Army. He was stationed in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked at Pearl Harbor and then went on to lead the 334th Combat Infantry Regiment into Germany. Roosma retired in 1956 after thirty years of military service.
Roosma married Marjorie Perine Henion on August 3, 1926, in Passaic, New Jersey. They had three sons, all of whom attended West Point. The eldest, John Jr., left before graduating and joined the United States Air Force, retiring as a colonel. The twins, Garret and William, graduated in 1958. William became a career Army officer, retiring as a major general. Garret served in the army and Army Reserve, and retired as a colonel. Roosma and his wife had seven grandchildren. In 2006, he became an inaugural member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Important facts
People in John Roosma's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Roosma's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Roosma?
American military officer and basketball player (1900–1983)
When was John Roosma born?
John Roosma was born on 3 September 1900 in Passaic.
When did John Roosma die?
John Roosma died on 13 November 1983 in Verona.
What was John Roosma's occupation?
John Roosma was a basketball player, baseball player and military officer.
What nationality was John Roosma?
John Roosma was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Roosma. https://biography.guide/john-roosma/
MLA: "John Roosma." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-roosma/.
Chicago: "John Roosma." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-roosma/.
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