Northrup R. Knox: Difference between revisions

| name = Northrup R. Knox

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| office1 = Owner of the [[Buffalo Sabres]]

| alongside1 = [[Seymour H. Knox III]], [[Robert O. Swados]], & [[George W. Strawbridge, Jr.]]

| term_start1 = 1970

| term_end1 = 1998

| predecessor1 = ''Position established''

| successor1 = [[John Rigas]]

| office2 = 7th Chairman of the <br> [[United States Polo Association]]

| term_start2 = 1966

| term_end2 = 1970

| predecessor2 = [[George C. Sherman, Jr.]]

| successor2 = [[William T. Ylvisaker]]

| birth_date = {{birth date|1928|12|24}}

| birth_place = [[Buffalo, New York]]

| death_date = {{death date and age|1998|077|23|1928|12|24}}

| death_place = [[East Aurora, New York]]

| occupation = Sports Executiveexecutive, Athleteathlete

| spouse = {{marriage|Lucetta Gilbert Crisp<br>|1950|July 23, 1998|reason=his death}}

| education = [[St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)|St. Paul's School]]

| parents alma_mater = [[SeymourYale H. Knox IIUniversity]]<br>Helen Northrup

| children = 2
| relatives = [[Seymour H. Knox III]] (brother)<br>[[Seymour H. Knox I]] (grandfather)

'''Northrup Rand Knox''' (December 24, 1928 – July 23, 1998), was a Buffalo [[banker]], sportsman, and community leader from [[Buffalo, New York]], who, along with his brother [[Seymour H. Knox III|Seymour]], brought the [[National Hockey League]] to Buffalo, New York, as founders of the [[Buffalo Sabres]]. Knox was the third generation of the Knox family to serve as chairman of [[Marine Midland Bank]] and its predecessors. His father [[Seymour H. Knox II]] and grandfather [[Seymour H. Knox I]] also served as chairmen. He was also a past chairman of the Buffalo Sabres. He was chairman and governor of the [[United States Polo Association]].

He was born on December 24, 1928, in [[Buffalo, New York]]. He was the second son of [[Seymour H. Knox II]] and Helen Northrup.<ref>{{cite news |title=SEYMOUR H. KNOX JR., BANKER, PATRON OF THE ARTS, PHILANTHROPIST, DIES AT 92 UNDER HIS GUIDANCE, BUFFALO'S GALLERY ATTAINED INTERNATIONAL STATURE |url=http://www.buffalonews.com/seymour_h._knox_jr._banker_patron_of_the_arts_philanthropist__dies_at_92__under_his_guidance_buffaloaposs_gallery_attained_international__stature.html |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |work=www.buffaloNews.com |publisher=[[The Buffalo News]] |date=September 27, 1990}}</ref> His elder brother, and only sibling, was [[Seymour H. Knox III]].

Knox attended the [[Aiken Preparatory School]] in [[Aiken, South Carolina]], and [[St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)|St. Paul's School]] in [[Concord, New Hampshire]]. He was a 1950 graduate of [[Yale University]]. At Yale, Norty starred in squash and won two Y's as a hockey goaltender. He was also a member of the [[Scroll and Key]] society.<ref name="NYTWedding1950"/>

The only amateur polo player in the postwar era to reach an eight-goal rating, he captained the US team in the challenge for the Cup of the Americas in 1966 and 1969 in [[Buenos Aires, Argentina]], distinguishing himself as one of America's finest offensive players.<ref name="SI">{{cite magazine |url= http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082018/2/index.htm |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130102123458/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082018/2/index.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= January 2, 2013 |title=Warts, Love And Dreams In Buffalo |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |accessdateaccess-date=September 24, 2008 |date=January 20, 1969 |author=Yates, Brock}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buffaloah.com/h/knox/farm/source/14.html |title=Norty Knox (left) scoring against Argentina in 1966. He was captain of the United States polo team in 1966 and 1969, competing for the Cup of hethe Americas in Buenos Aires. |accessdateaccess-date=November 5, 2008 |author= Chuck LaChiusa}}</ref> With his legendary group of mares, known as the "4 Rs" (Ragamuffin, Rotallen, Ravanelle and Roulette), Norty was generally recognized as the best mounted player in the US at that time. After playing those ponies in the 1969 Cup of the Americas he was also considered the best mounted player in [[Argentina]] as well. He was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Nancy Bruen |title=Northrup R. Knox Remembered By His Daughter Linda |url=http://www.aikenequestrianresource.com/EquestrianCal/northrup-r-knox-iii-remembered-by-his-daughter-linda |website=www.aikenequestrianresource.com |publisher=Equestrian Calendar of Aiken |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016}}</ref>

A protégé of the [[Basque people|Basque]] master [[Pierre Etchebaster]], Knox learned the sport at a young age at the Aiken Tennis Club and was a formidable opponent on the [[court tennis]] court. He became World Champion when he defeated Albert "Jack" Johnson at the [[Racquet and Tennis Club]] in New York in 1959.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,825595,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201080551/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,825595,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 1, 2011 |title=Off a Monastery Wall |accessdateaccess-date=November 5, 2008 |date=February 23, 1959 |publisher=[[Time Inc.]] |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> He held the title until 1969, when he retired, undefeated.

With his brother [[Seymour H. Knox III]], he presented an application October 19, 1965, to obtain a [[National Hockey League]] expansion team in 1967, but was rebuffed. In 1968, the NHL Board of Governors rejected their agreement to move the [[Oakland Seals]] to Buffalo pending league approval. Finally, on December 2, 1969, the league announced its decision to expand to Buffalo and Vancouver for the 1970-711970–71 season. Knox was a principal owner of the Buffalo Sabres from their foundation as a National Hockey League franchise in 1970 until a few months before his death.<ref>{{cite news |title=Seymour Knox 3d, 70, N.H.L. Team Owner |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/23/sports/seymour-knox-3d-70-nhl-team-owner.html |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 23, 1996}}</ref>

The brothers also brought their vision of a state of the art sports and entertainment complex originally named the Marine Midland Arena and now called the [[KeyBank Center]] to life. The 20,000 seat complex was completed in 1996 and is located at 1 Seymour H. Knox, III Plaza on the waterfront in downtown Buffalo. It is the home of the [[Buffalo Sabres]] and the [[Buffalo Bandits]] as well as the former home of the [[Buffalo Blizzard]] and [[Buffalo Destroyers]] of the [[Arena Football League (1987–2008)|Arena Football League]].

In 1950, Knox was married to Lucetta Gilbert Crisp,<ref name="LindaNYT">{{cite news |title=Mrs. Northrup Knox Has Child |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1951/12/07/94284413.html?pageNumber=33 |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |work=timesmachine.nytimes.com|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]'' |date=December 7, 1951}}</ref> whom he met while wintering in [[Aiken, South Carolina]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ross |first1=Donna |title=The East Aurora Hunt: Gone But Not Forgotten |url=http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/east-aurora-hunt-gone-not-forgotten |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |publisher=''The Chronicle of the Horse'' |date=September 26, 2008}}</ref> She was the daughter of Van Devanter Crisp and Martha Crisp ([[née]] Ottley), of 33 [[List of numbered streets in Manhattan|East 77th Street]] in New York City, and the granddaughter of James H. Ottley of [[New York City]] and [[Glen Cove, Long Island]].,<ref name="NYTWedding1950">{{cite news |title=NUPTIALS ARE HELD FOR LUCETTA CRISP; She Is Wed in Locust Valley to Northrup R. Knox, Graduate of Yale, Class of '50 |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/06/22/84659845.html?pageNumber=31 |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |work=timesmachine.nytimes.com|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]'' |date=June 22, 1950}}</ref> and was educated at the [[Garrison Forest School]] in [[Owings Mills, Maryland]], and [[Sarah Lawrence College]] in [[Bronxville, New York]]. Together, they had two children:

* Linda Knox McLean (b. 1951),<ref name="LindaNYT"/> who was married Arthur Albert Schmon II of [[Vancouver, British Columbia]], until their divorce.<ref>{{cite news |title=WEDDING: Kolotouros – Schmon |url=http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20130908/aik0402/130909498 |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |publisher=''[[Aiken Standard]]'' |date=September 8, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ROBERT M. SCHMON |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/06/us/robert-m-schmon.html |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 6, 1985}}</ref>

* Northrup Rand Knox Jr. (b. 1954), who married Victoria A. Beers in 1992.<ref>{{cite news |title=WEDDINGS; Victoria A. Beers, Northrup Knox Jr. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/28/style/weddings-victoria-a-beers-northrup-knox-jr.html |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 28, 1992}}</ref>

He died on July 23, 1998, in [[East Aurora, New York]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Northrup R. Knox, 69, banker, sportsman, community leader |url=http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/archive/vol30/vol30n1/obit.html |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |work=www.buffalo.edu |issue=August 27, 1998-vol30n1: Obituary |publisher=''University at Buffalo Reporter'' |date=August 27, 1998}}</ref> Northrup's wife Lucetta died on October 12, 2008, after a long illness.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lucetta Crisp Knox's Obituary |url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/buffalonews/obituary.aspx?pid=118891250 |accessdateaccess-date=April 13, 2016 |work=Buffalo News |publisher=''[[The Buffalo News]]'' |date=October 16, 2008}}</ref>

The Knox brothers, who brought major league hockey to Buffalo, were inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 and into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 1996. Northrup Knox was survived by his daughter, Linda Knox McLean, a son, Northrup R. Knox Jr., and five grandchildren, Richard, Lisa, and Arthur Schmon, Charles Rigby Knox and Northrup Knox III.

* [https://archive.today/20130102071800/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1071053/1/index.htm Sports Illustrated: School of Hard Knox ]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120716195915/http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/archives/vol30/vol30n1/obit.html Obituaries: Northrup R. Knox, 69, banker, sportsman, community leader ]

{{s-ttl|title = [[List of real tennis world champions|Real Tennis World Champion]]|years = 1959&ndash;691959–1969}}

{{s-aft|after = G. W. Bostwick, Jr.}}