Ward Brennan

For the author, see Leonard Frank Meares.

Ward Brennan

Biographical details
Born	(1885-09-09)September 9, 1885
Playing career
Basketball
1904–1908	St. George A. C.
1907–1908	Danbury
1909–1910	Pittsburgh South Side
1910	Hudson Mixers
Baseball
1909	Waterbury Invincibles
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1923–1924	New York State Institute of Applied Agriculture
1924–1925	Manhattan
1927–1929	Freeport HS (NY)
Football
1927	Freeport HS (NY)

Peter Ward Brennan was an American basketball player, official, coach, and recreation supervisor.

Playing

Brennan began his basketball career with the Fifth Separate Juniors in Newburgh, New York. He later played center for the St. George Athletic Club of Jersey City, New Jersey. He played in Danbury, Connecticut in 1907 and for the Pittsburgh South Side in 1909. In 1910, he signed with the Hudson club of the Hudson River Valley League.

Brennan also played minor league baseball for the Waterbury Invincibles in 1909.

Officiating

Brennan spent nearly 15 years as a college and professional basketball official. He officiated in the New York State, Interstate, and Connecticut Basketball Leagues. He was described as the "one of basketball's best referees" by Reach Guide and "the best basketball referee in the East" by the Wilkes-Barre Record. According to author Murry R. Nelson, Brennan was "the only referee to approach (Herman) Baetzel in stature" during the 1910s and 1920s.

Coaching and recreation supervision

In 1914, Brennan was hired as a supervisor of recreation in the Brooklyn parks department. In 1917, he became a physical education instructor at the Pratt Institute. During World War I, he was the recreational director at Camp Mills. He was later the athletic director of the New York State Institute of Applied Agriculture. During the 1924–25 season, he was the head coach of the Manhattan Jaspers men's basketball team and led them to a 10–10 record. In 1927, he was named as head basketball coach at Freeport High School. The following year, he was appointed supervisor of recreational facilities for the Long Island State Park Commission by Robert Moses. In 1930, he became the supervisor of the pool at the Hotel St. George. He joined the United Service Organizations shortly after its formation and in 1942 was named USO director for the Shenango Personnel Replacement Depot.