Inducted on November 14, 1986
Larry Hazzard, a.k.a. Larry Hazzard, Sr., is a former referee and former commissioner of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board. Hazzard boxed as a middleweight in the amateur ranks, reaching the quarterfinals of the 1964 Olympic Trials. He began refereeing amateur bouts in 1967, refereed his first professional contest in 1978, and was appointed head of the NJSACB in 1985.
Hazzard is also the father of boxing referee and judge Larry Hazzard Jr..
References
Farhood, Steve. “The Buck Stops Here,” Boxing Monthly, October 1998, pp. 32-35.
Links
Biography of Larry Hazzard at nj.gov
Former three-time Golden Glove Champion, Larry Hazzard, Sr. was the chief boxing referee in New Jersey when he was appointed Commissioner of the State Athletic Control Board in late 1985 by Governor Tom Kean. He has been reappointed by every subsequent Governor.
Born in Newark, NJ, Hazzard first took an interest in boxing as an elementary school student in Newark in the 1950’s. The greatest legends in boxing, including Joe Louis and Sugar RayRobinson, inspired him to seek a career in boxing. Not only did he admire their abilities in boxing, but also their contributions to mankind.
While attending Central High School in Newark, Hazzard reached the peak of his amateur boxing career. A three-time Golden Glove Champion in the 1960’s, he also won the New Jersey State A.A.U. Championship during the same time period.
In 1967, he began his noted career as a referee. During his spare time, he refereed amateur boxing throughout the tri-state area. That year, he also began to study the martial arts and specialized in Ju-Jitsu. He attained the coveted Black Belt in 1968.
Hazzard earned an Associate of Arts Degree from Essex County College in 1970 and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (cum laude) from Montclair State College in 1973. That same year, he accepted his first teaching job at Arts High School as a Physical Education and Health Instructor, and also served as Athletic Director and Department Chairman.
In 1978 Hazzard began his professional refereeing career while attending a graduate program at Montclair State. He received his Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision of Education in 1980. Subsequently, he became Vice Principal at Westside High School in Newark and Principal of Broadway Junior High School in Newark.
Quantas Magazine and Timex Corporation elected him “Referee of the Year” in 1983. By 1985, he had refereed numerous world championship fights in every weight class around the world, involving some of the greatest boxers of the modern boxing era.
He was sworn in as Athletic Commissioner for the State of New Jersey on February 27, 1986. Under Hazzard’s leadership, New Jersey has emerged as a major world boxing venue. It is recognized as having the most comprehensive rules, regulations and policies for enforcing safe, professional boxing.
As Commissioner, Hazzard is recognized worldwide as a leader and authority in the boxing industry. His efforts to establish rules and regulations that maximize safety during competitions, as well as the successful development and implementation of the nationally recognized Unified Championship Rules have motivated other boxing governing organizations to do likewise. He has also been responsible for worldclass boxing officiating changes, including the development and implementation of the 10-Point Majority Scoring System.
Hazzard has conducted numerous refereeing seminars for world sanctioning organizations and state commissions around the country, and is a frequent guest on various television and radio programs involving boxing. He has also lectured to graduate students of SportsAdministration at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and has been the subject of numerous magazine and newspaper articles involving the progressive and innovative administration of professional boxing.
On November 14, 1986, Hazzard was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame.
In 1989 he was voted “Boxing Commissioner of the Year” by the World BoxingAssociation. On June 13, 1991, Hazzard was inducted into the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame. The New Jersey Sports Writers Association inducted Hazzard into its Hall of Fame on February 2, 1992, noting his outstanding career as a boxing referee and commissioner, and in 1998, he was recognized by City News as one of its 100 Most Influential People. In January 2001, he was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
Hazzard also serves as a member of the St. James A.M.E. Church and its Preparatory School Board, the Essex County College Foundation Board, and is the former Director for the North Eastern Region and current member of the Association of Boxing Commissions, in addition to his lifetime membership with the N.A.A.C.P.
Hazzard and his wife, Patricia, have three children and three grandchildren. They reside in
Edison.