by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
It wasn’t exactly Midnight Madness, but when John Chitty helped referee the first basketball game in the brand new Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 24, 1960, the stands were full.
Full of fans anxious to watch the first basketball game played in the South’s newest arena.
Full of figure skating fans on hand to see ballerina-like spins around the ice.
Full of boxing fans eager to watch the best in local exhibitions.
Full of curious on-lookers who journeyed downtown simply to walk around and sit in the massive (by 1960 standards) new arena that at the time was an architectural marvel.
“I refereed the basketball game at the dedication ceremony,” said Chitty. “We had basketball in the center, boxing at one end and ice skating at the other end.”
Chitty was born in North Carolina but moved to Jacksonville before his first birthday. He graduated from Lee High School in 1943, did a stint in the Army — “I was stationed at NAS Jacksonville. I had orders for San Diego when they dropped the big bomb, so they canceled my orders” — then enrolled in Jacksonville Junior College. Today, Chitty is a court liaison at the Duval County Courthouse where he works five days a week from 6:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and squeezes in a little golf whenever he can.
Outside of his family and professional life, Chitty has been consumed with sports. From his days as a little league terror to suiting up for the Florida Gators basketball team to serving as a member of the International Little League Board, Chitty has always been involved in sports.
“I played basketball at Jacksonville Junior College on Riverside Avenue,” said Chitty. “In 1945, the school moved to Arlington and became JU [Jacksonville University].
“I went to the University of Florida for one year and played basketball there. I also played for the United States Navy.”
Chitty’s experience on the court as a player certainly played a role in his being a part of the 1960 dedication. However, his interest in basketball went well beyond setting picks and grabbing rebounds. Chitty had been officiating local high school basketball games for years when he got the call to handle the dedication game.
“The commissioner of basketball, Dick Fromhart, called me,” explained Chitty. “He assigned us as referees at the dedication. I was president of the Southern Association of Basketball Officials at the time and we did high school and college games. Being the president of that helped me.”
Chitty said a crowd of about 10,000 showed up that day to get a first-hand look at Jacksonville’s newest attraction. While there was no need to have three sporting events going at once, Chitty said City officials wanted to gloat a little.
“They were showing the versatility of the Coliseum. That’s what they were doing,” said Chitty, adding the Coliseum was truly an amazing facility. “I had never been in anything like that. It was great. It was a nice big gym and there were even dressing rooms for the officials.”
While at Lee High in the early 1940s, Chitty changed uniforms almost as often as he changed classes. Fall football gave way to basketball which segued into baseball season. At the time, men played fast pitch softball, but not at the high school level. The sport gave Chitty a chance to continue playing after graduation.
One of his more notable athletic accomplishments came when he was in elementary school.
“I won the city championship in roller skating,” said Chitty. “It was a speed competition and they timed you as you went around a course. They had the competitions at playgrounds all over the city with four cones set up and everyone went the same distance.”
Professionally, Chitty has been in the automotive business most of his life, first with Nimnicht Chevrolet and then with the JSO’s Motor Pool.
“I was the parts manager at Nimnicht, which was Riverside Chevrolet then,” he said. “Then, I went to work for the Motor Pool. I was division chief over the parts department.”
Nine years ago, Chitty joined the courthouse as a liaison. Some days are busier than others, but he still fills a vital role to attorneys.
“By law, police officers can have unlisted phone numbers,” explained Chitty. “I have those numbers. If a public defender or state attorney needs the officer for a case, they call me. I get in touch with the police officer and have them call the attorney back.”
Through it all Chitty has remained active in the sports world. He once organized a charity softball tournament at the old Durkee Field in which his team played the Chicago Bluebirds, an all-girls fast pitch softball team. While the game drew 5,000 people and raised a lot of money for Hope Haven Children’s Hospital, there was an ulterior motive.
The Bluebirds were owned by Charlie Bidwell, who also owned the National Football League Chicago Cardinals. Bidwell wanted to sign former University of Georgia star Charlie Trippi and Palatka’s Rabbit Smith. Bidwell brought his Bluebirds to town and used the trip as an opportunity set up a meeting with Trippi and Smith. It worked, as he eventually signed both.
(Bidwell’s son, Bill, now owns the team, which moved first to St. Louis and then to Arizona. Chicago now has the Bears.)
Chitty said the game was interesting, too.
“We finally beat the girls,” he said, unable to remember the score. “I hit a home run in the game. It was tough because the girls pitched from three feet closer.”
Of all of Chitty’s athletic interests, none has lasted as long as his involvement in Little League. During his 75 years, Chitty has played in and governed the worldwide association. He has been both the most valuable Little League player in Jacksonville (Chitty can’t remember what year) and a member of Little League’s International Board.
“I’ve been lucky,” he said. “I just got off the International Board of Directors for Little League. I was only the second person in 50 years from Florida to serve on that board.”
Little League has also given Chitty the opportunity to encounter two of baseball’s elite: one is practically considered royalty and the other is the highest paid player, ever.
“I went to the Little League World Series [in Williamsport, Pa.] 12 years in a row, but I haven’t been the last four,” said Chitty. “One year I took my son and at lunch one day we sat across from Joe DiMaggio.
“One year here in Jacksonville we held a tournament at Highlands field and a team from Miami came up. A little kid named Alex Rodriguez (now a major league superstar) was on that team.”
As a member of the International Board, Chitty has had the chance to see and do things others never will. One of his proudest accomplishments is being part of the group that helped bring Little League to the masses in Eastern Europe and Russia.
“We built a complex in Kuetno, Poland when I was on the International Board,” said Chitty. “Kids from countries like Russia and Poland and many others play there to see who comes over here to represent their region each year.”
These days Chitty only plays golf, and that’s when he can. During the summer he’ll slip out to Pine Lakes and enjoy the extra daylight. A recent surgery, though, has cut back even more on his tee times.
“I don’t play as often as I used to because I just had my knee replaced,” said Chitty. “It’s better than the one I had.”
On June 30, 2003 Mayor John Delaney will dedicate the new $125 million arena. It, too, will be state-of-the-art. It, too, will be the South’s newest multi-use facility. In all likelihood, John Chitty will be there, too. This time as a curious onlooker, not a zebra-clad ref.