Seforimchatter SmallTalk: Football, Antisemitism, and Harvard: The Story of Arnold Horween (with Dr. Zev Eleff)
Feb 8, 2026
Dr. Zev Eleff, historian and author of Died in Crimson, explores Arnold Harwin — a 1920s football star whose career touched sports, Jewish identity, and Harvard. He discusses archival discoveries, Harwin’s athletic fame and pseudonymous NFL stint, campus antisemitism documented in Harvard records, and how family and opportunity shaped Harwin’s legacy. Short, engaging, and full of historical twists.
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How The Book Began
- Zev Eleff began the book project after a casual Barnes & Noble moment and a prompt from his wife inspired him to write about Arnold Harvwin.
- He discovered Harvwin's story over years of research and during COVID turned it into a full book project.
Name Myth Debunked
- Harvwin's real name was Arnold Harwin; he did not change it to hide his Jewishness as earlier accounts claimed.
- This correction reframes his story about identity and anti-Semitism at Harvard in the 1920s.
Unbeaten Harvard Star
- Harvwin was a dominant college player who never lost in varsity play aside from two ties and won the 1920 Rose Bowl.
- He later played and coached in the NFL, including a contested 1925 championship with the Chicago Cardinals.
