Fan CastingThe Smart Set Athletic Club

The Smart Set Athletic Club was an athletic club based in Brooklyn, NY. The club organized the first African-American basketball team, one of the most successful teams in the Black Fives Era. The Smart Set featured a talented lineup that included Hudson “Huddy” Oliver, who later played for the championship Washington 12th Streeters and then became a prominent surgeon, Charles Scottron, a grandson of famous African American inventor Samuel Scottron who later played for the New York All Stars, Ferdinand Accooe, who also later played for the All Stars, and Edwin “Teddy” Horne, later the father of world-famous entertainer Lena Horne. Sports promoter J. Hoffman Woods was the club’s president and general manager, and George W. Lattimore was assistant manager. The group’s mentor was the Black inventor and businessman Samuel Scottron, the patent holder for many now-common items like the curtain rod, and the patriarch of one of the first African American families in Brooklyn. This team is a great example of how a small group of people came together as pioneers to create a new reality in the face of adversity and obstacles, despite having no road map and no guidelines other than their unyielding passion and commitment toward creating camaraderie and inspiring. They also had a definite plan to go with their purpose, which allowed their sizable financial success that in turn enabled the Smart Set Athletic Club to make a significant difference in their community.