Yates, Sid

Sidney Yates

A basketball player at the University of Chicago in the early 1930s, Yates was described by the Chicago Tribune as the team's "chief scoring threat." After graduating, Yates served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 48 years (24 terms). A strong proponent of the National Endowments of the Arts and Humanities, he battled anti-Semitism in the Navy when Hyman Rickover was passed over for promotion to Admiral. A proud member of the Jewish community, Yates was a key force behind the construction of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C, and received the Four Freedoms award from the Roosevelt Institute in 1997. He retired from Congress in 1999.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. Aug. 27, 1909 - d. Oct. 5, 2000

Career Highlights:
Born in Chicago, Yates played three seasons at the University of Chicago and was one of the best scorers on the Maroons during his career. As a junior in 1929-30, he opened the season with 15 points in a 35-16 victory over Lake Forest. A forward, Yates missed much of the season with a broken wrist, but then returned as a senior and had a terrific season.

Yates had the best season of his college career as a senior at Chicago in 1931, when he finished 10th in the Western Conference (Big Ten) in scoring with 72 points in 12 games. That year Chicago finished eighth overall with a 4-8 conference mark (8-9 overall). Yates received his law degree from Chicago in 1933, and played semiprofessional basketball until World War II. He became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1948.

Origin:
Chicago, Illinois

Career Dates:
Yates played forward at the University of Chicago from 1929-1931.

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