Sport: Basketball
Born: August 7, 1903
Died: April 2, 1975
Town: Collingswood, New Jersey
James Edison Picken was born August 7, 1903 in Liverpool, OH and grew up in the Camden County town of Collingswood, NJ. A tremendous all-around athlete, Jimmy played all the major team sports, including soccer, and starred for Collingswood High School. His younger brother, Eddie, also played for CHS. Their mentor was coach Skeets Irvine, who came to the Garden State from New Hampshire.
Not coincidentally, both Picken brothers ended up at Dartmouth, where Jimmy—who stood a tick under 6’—played forward on the hoops squad and was first-team All-Ivy as a senior in 1926–27.
After graduating in 1927, Jimmy signed a contract with the Yankees, who started him out with the Class-D Easton Farmers. He played second base for a year and barely hit his weight, which made his next decision easy: He would become a pro basketball player—the first Dartmouth grad to do so.
Jimmy suited up for several teams over the next decade, including the 1928 Paterson Whirlwinds of the American Basketball League, coached by Pop Morganweck. Jimmy also played for pro clubs in Bridgeton, Camden and Elizabeth—while holding down a day job as a schoolteacher and multisport coach.
After his playing days, Jimmy continued his teaching and coaching career, earning a reputation as a great innovator and motivator of young athletes. He handled all of the sports he had once played for several schools in New Jersey and New York. He led Audubon High school to three state football championships and produced great team for Clifford Scott High in East Orange. During World War II, Jimmy enlisted in the Navy. He passed away in Moorestown at the age of 73.