Presented is the 1954 Helms Athletic Foundation All-America Basketball Team certificate presented to former LaSalle University star Tom Gola. Gola is among the 30 college hoops players listed on the 14½ x 17½-inch white paper certificate, including notables Gene Shue, Cliff Hagan, Bob Pettit, Maurice Stokes and Larry Costello. The certificate is headlined “Helms Athletic Foundation All-America Basketball Team 1954 Award” and is printed in blue, black, red, and gold type, with a 2-inch gold seal with the  legend “Helms Athletic Foundation” in the lower left. The certificate is displayed in a 16 x 19½ -inch black and gold wood with glass frame. An interesting historical footnote about the Helms Athletic Foundation. Founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms, the Helms Athletic Foundation was based in Los Angeles. The name was a misnomer, as there actually was no foundation in place to sustain the operation. Instead the organization was subsidized completely by the operations of Helms Bakery, opened by Helms in Los Angeles. Schroeder selected the foundation's national champion teams and made All-America team selections in a number of college sports, including football and basketball. He continued to select national champions for the Helms Foundation until 1982, its final year of selections.

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