Launch of Herb Turetzky Scholarship Fund in Partnership with Medgar Evers College
In honor of long-time NBA Brooklyn Nets Official Scorer, scholarship to be awarded to Brownsville/East New York young student seeking a valued college education
Brooklyn, NY (November 6, 2023) – Today, Medgar Evers College, part of The City University of New York, is excited to announce the establishment of The Herb Turetzky Scholarship Fund.
In line with the College’s mission of developing and maintaining high quality, professional, career oriented undergraduate degree programs in the context of liberal education, this scholarship will be awarded annually starting with the fall 2024 semester, to an incoming freshman seeking such ideals and matching the characteristics of the late Turetzky.
Herb Turetzky, a native of Brownsville, NY, passed away in April 2022. To the basketball world he was known as the longtime Official Scorer for the New York, New Jersey, and Brooklyn Nets. This was a position and title he wore proudly for 54 years. Turetzky went by many names and titles such as Official Scorer, or Mr. Net; but the ones he was most proud of were husband, dad, Bop, and of course, friend.
He scored more than 2,200 games, which has been certified as a World Record by the Guinness Book of World Records for professional sports, including at one point 1,465 consecutive games. Much more than a scorer, he has been described as a basketball historian, an encyclopedia, and most importantly a friend. Whether it was in the early days of the franchise with players such as Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Super John Williamson, and Brian Taylor, or the ‘80s and ‘90s with players like Daryl Dawkins, Buck Williams, Otis Birdsong, or more recently with Drazen Petrovic, Jayson Williams, Kerry Kittles, Jason Kidd, Kevin Durant, and Spencer Dinwiddie, as well as countless officials, coaches, and team personnel, these relationships were one of the greatest joys of the job for Turetzky. He also loved having his family and friends along for the ride and enjoyed nothing more than connecting these two worlds often making it one big family unit there with him every step of the way.
Prior to being a local business owner in Bayside, Queens, he was a New York City School principal and educator. Education was extremely important to Herb and his family. His wife Jane, always by his side, spent 50-plus years as a special education teacher and administrator at a public elementary school in Flushing, Queens and their two children, Jennifer and David, are currently both educators–a school psychologist and a high school guidance counselor respectively.
In line with Turetzky’ s commitment to education, there was no better way to remember him than with the establishment of a scholarship fund for a deserving incoming freshman from his hometown. The student will be a contributor to their community and a student seeking a valued education.
The scholarship found its home at CUNY’s Medgar Evers College (MEC), which offers programs both at the baccalaureate and at the associate degree levels, giving close attention to the articulation between the two-year and four-year programs. MEC has a commitment to students who desire self-improvement, a sound education, an opportunity to develop a personal value system, and an opportunity to gain maximum benefits from life experience and from their environment.
“We could not be more delighted and thankful for the leadership at Medgar Evers College for their willingness and desire to host the scholarship at their college,” said Jane Turetzky, the late scorer’s wife. “Herb would be delighted to know that a young resident from Brownsville/East New York could have the chance to receive a scholarship, enabling them to excel and achieve success thanks to a sound education at the college. We look forward to following the successes of the recipients in the years to come and are extremely grateful to all of our family and friends who are making this scholarship fund possible.”
“Medgar Evers College is honored and humbled to be joining forces to be able to award a scholarship to a deserving local student,” said Medgar Evers President Patricia Ramsey. “It’s all the more rewarding knowing that our school can be a springboard for greater future triumphs for a deserving freshman.”
Ways to Give
ONLINE
Login to WWW.MEC.CUNY.EDU and select DONATE TO MEC (found at the top of the page). You will be taken to the MEC secure online donation system. Select either Scholarship One-time Gift or Scholarship Recurring Gift. Complete the donation form, be sure to choose your scholarship designation “Herb Turetzky Scholarship” from the drop-down menu. If you require assistance, please call 718-270-5021, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
BY MAIL
Please make your check or money order payable to:
- Medgar Evers College Educational Foundation and,
- On the memo line input “Herb Turetzky Scholarship”.
Send your check or money order to:
Medgar Evers College 1150 Carroll St., Suite 400 Brooklyn, NY 11225
Attention: Sharon Bartell
