GW BBall Court’s Namesake Dies

Larry “Tex” Silverman BA ‘53 died of cancer on March 26, according to the Washington Post. He was 75.

GW basketball fans may know of Silverman’s name: it adorns the basketball court on which the Colonials play.

Silverman was a basketball star during his days at GW. According to the Post’s obituary, he came to GW on a basketball scholarship. The 6-foot-3 athlete played guard and was team captain during coach Bill Reinhart’s days.

His nickame, “Tex,” stems from his depression-era youth in Texas. He was born Lawrence Irwin Silverman in Jersey City, NJ.

After leaving GW, both the NBA and the Army were calling. He chose to serve in the Korean War and then came back and settled into real estate.

According to the Post, he was a financial supporter of GW’s athletic department, leading to the renaming of the basketball court in the ’90s. He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

Stay tuned for a more in-depth obituary…