Ernest Maurice “Ernie” Vandeweghe Jr. was a United States Air Force veteran and played college basketball for Colgate University, where he was an All-American. He was then drafted by the Knicks in the 1949 Draft. After playing with them for six seasons, he retired from the NBA and served in the Air Force as a physician.

While he was in Germany serving, he had three children who all went on to be world class athletes. After his time in the Air Force, he served as chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and served on the Olympic Sports Commission under President Ford, where he assisted with Title IX and the 1976 Amateur Athletic Act. Later, he was the senior vice president with Focus Partners LLC and was a consultant with the United Stated Golf and Fitness Association.