Biographical Note
Hank Kaplan, alternately known as "the Lord of the Ring," "the Human Encyclopedia" and "the Sweet Scientist," spent his lifetime building what is indubitably the world's largest collection of its kind. The late Mr. Kaplan recognized the importance of archiving the stories of not only the champions of the sport, but also those fighters whose names and records would otherwise be forgotten. This perspective encouraged him to collect and arrange information from the awe-inspiring to the ephemeral, as he knew that if any of these pieces were to be left out, then a complete portrait would be impossible.
Hank Kaplan was born in Brooklyn on April 15, 1919 to Jewish immigrants from Poland and Lithuania. Kaplan's father died of tuberculosis when Hank was twelve, leaving his mother struggling to support her family. Hank and his siblings were placed in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of New York for a short period of time, and it was here where Hank Kaplan was first introduced to boxing.
In 1939, Mr. Kaplan followed in the footsteps of his idol at the time, Jack Dempsey, and enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami, where he was living at the time. In the Coast Guard, Kaplan learned to disinfect ships, and acquired skills regarding the prevention of contamination. His next assignment was with the Department of Health, inspecting ships and aircraft for signs of tropical and infectious disease. During this period of time, Mr. Kaplan took night classes at the University of Miami through the G.I. Bill. After the war, Mr. Kaplan was employed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also in Miami, where he worked until his retirement at the age of fifty-five. At one point during this period, Mr. Kaplan, along with four other scientists, traveled to Indonesia in an attempt to battle an outbreak of bubonic plague.
It was in Miami that Mr. Kaplan formed friendships with boxing greats Angelo and Chris Dundee. Chris owned the legendary 5th St. Gym and Angelo was the trainer and corner man for many boxing champions, including Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. Mr. Kaplan became involved in the boxing community, promoting fights and working on his archives. Once he retired at the age of 55, Mr. Kaplan was able to devote himself full time to his passion. He founded and edited Hank Kaplan's World-Wide Boxing Digest, and wrote articles for Boxing World,The Ring, the London Times, and Germany's Der Stern. He also served as a boxing consultant to Sports Illustrated for twenty-four years. Once cable television became a primary source of boxing news, Kaplan began working as a consultant for ESPN, HBO and Showtime.
Not just a historian and prominent figure in the world of boxing, Hank Kaplan was also a devoted family man. He was married to his wife, Sylvia, for fifty-six years, until her death in 2006. They raised two children together in Miami. Mr. Kaplan was well loved both for his knowledge and passion about boxing, and also for his personality and kindness.
Hank Kaplan once said, "None of this is for my own glory. I have no dreams of great rewards. My love of boxing comes first." Regardless of this sentiment, Hank Kaplan received countless acknowledgments of professional respect over the years, as well as proper awards and honors. He was elected to the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999, and was honored with the James J. Walker Award for long and meritorious service from the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2002. He was also the first elected president of the World Boxing Historians Association. In 1989, Hank helped establish the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York by creating its research library and serving on its nominating committee. Many professional boxers had wished to nominate Mr. Kaplan to the Boxing Hall of Fame for years, but Mr. Kaplan stated that he wanted to see others nominated before him, and would not step down from the nominating committee. Finally, after much pressure, Mr. Kaplan did step down and was inducted in 2006.
After a brief bout with cancer, Hank Kaplan passed away in his home on the morning of December 14, 2007. As it was during his lifetime, the Hank Kaplan Boxing Archive continues to be a gift to all who seek it. The Archive documents the history of a sport, of a culture, and of a man who was dedicated to preserving his community's memory.