Directions
The LIU Brooklyn men’s basketball team moved into its new home at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center in 2006, leaving the historic walls of the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Athletic Center.
The Schwartz Center was always a topic of conversation for visiting basketball teams, the press corps who covered the Blackbirds and the fans and alumni who cheered for LIU from the stands. The unique setting was home for the Blackbirds for over 42 years and was as much a part of the program’s history as the players who competed on the floor.
The ornate and hallowed interior of the cozy 1,000-seat gymnasium was first home to the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre. The Paramount was glittering showcase for the stars of the stage, screen and Hollywood’s celluloid epics from 1928-1962. The original edifice remains, but has been modified to suit the athletic, recreational, educational and social needs of the students and staff of LIU’s Brooklyn Campus and the members of the surrounding community.
The Paramount existed as a 4,200-seat theater for 35 years after openings its doors on Nov. 24, 1928. Until the lights on the 10-story sign along Flatbush Avenue extension dimmed in Aug. 1962 it housed shows of stage and screen featuring some of the biggest entertainment stars of the day. Such show biz immortals as Mae West, Bing Crosby, Eddie Cantor, Rudy Vallee, Little Richard, Fred Waring and Ginger Rogers appeared on the Paramount’s stage during its heyday. In the 1950’s, Alan Freed’s rock and roll shows whipped young fans into a frenzy.
Another attraction of the Paramount is its original 1928 Wurlitzer pipe organ, which provided background music for the silent films shown on the screen and also played calming interludes between shows. The only other organ of its kind in New York City is in Radio City Music Hall and the Wurlitzer has attracted several prominent guest organists to LIU over the years, including Eddie Layton who played organ for the New York Yankees and Madison Square Garden. The organ still produces marvelous sounds which rock the rafters and concerts are still assembled by the Theatre Organ Society of New York, which helps maintain the Wurlitzer.
The Paramount was converted to a gymnasium in 1963 and became the home of the Blackbirds basketball squads until early 2006. After the Paramount closed its doors, workmen transformed the orchestra section into the basketball court. The lights first shined on the court on Nov. 30, 1963 as the men’s squad recorded a memorable 85-56 victory over Pace College.
A renovation and expansion of the gymnasium took place during the summer of 1975 when The Charles Hayden Foundation offered LIU a challenge grant. Contributions poured in from the Brooklyn business community, loyal alumni of the Brooklyn Campus, LIU’s student body through self-assessment and a generous gift from its namesake, the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Fund for Education and Health Research. In the ensuing years the gymnasium underwent elegant decorating and cosmetic revival for dinners to raise funds for scholarships at the university.
Under the leadership of current Director of Athletics John Suarez, the Schwartz Center became the friendly confines for the men’s and women’s basketball teams at LIU. The unique interior features an overhanging scoreboard and accompanying message centers along the baseline corners. An adjacent lounge area , known as the Hall of Mirrors, also underwent renovations with the installation of new carpeting on the stairs and polishing of the three-story wall mirrors.
The upgrades made in the later years recaptured the opulence and splendor that made the Paramount a palace and feast for the eyes.