Witt, James Lawrence “Chic” - 1988
Witt was a longtime coach and organizer of local athletics in Savannah. Although he is closely identified with boxing, he was also involved with played, coaching, and promoting basketball, softball, and even professional wrestling.
Witt was a Golden Gloves boxer and fought as a professional for a few years. He and Herschel V. Summerlin organized the South Side Athletic Club in 1948 and Witt assumed all responsibility for it the following year. It was through this organization that he helped organize and train a nationally competitive team.
In addition to the many Golden Gloves boxers Witt trained and aided, he also coached a SSAC Women’s basketball team that put together a 38-game winning streak in the city recreational league. They won every city title from 1950-53. His boys’ team also won a city title during that time period.
Witt brought many big name professional wrestlers to Savannah, including Chief Big Hart, Tommy Todd, Jerry Graham, and Argentine Rocker. After his service with the SSAC and youth activities ended, Witt remained active by playing softball with the Oldtimers Softball Association.