Ambrose Jellymakers, 1945-1946

Jay Ambrose, was a member of Denver's Jewish community from the 1930s through the 1970s was knicknamed Denver's "Mr. Basketball and played a critical role in the development of the Denver Nuggets basketball team. The Denver Nuggets began as Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team in the 1933-34 season and retained its amateur status through 1948. Jay Ambrose partened with the American Legion to sponsor the Denver team for a season. It became the Denver Ambrose Jellymakers after Ambrose, who headed Ambrose and Company, which manufactured wine, jams, and jellies, took over full sponsorship of the team in the 1944-1945 season. In 1945, three members of the Ambrose Jellymakers were picked for the All-America team. Jay Ambrose ended his sponsorship in 1948 and in 1949, the Denver Nuggets became part of the National Basketball Association. Jay Ambrose also sponsored a women's baseball team and a women's basketball during the 1940s.