People, Locations, Episodes

Hank Aaron, Baseball Player, and Executive born

*On this date in 1934, Hank Aaron was born. Now an African American baseball executive, he remains one of major league baseball’s all-time home run hitters.

Bill Russell, Basketball Player, Coach, and Activist born

*Bill Russell was born on this date in 1934. He was an African American professional basketball player and coach.

Arthur Williams, Baseball Umpire born

*Arthur Williams was born on this date in 1934. He was a Black professional baseball umpire.  Born in Camden, Arkansas, he grew up in Bakersfield, CA. He began his career as a pitcher for his hometown, Bakersfield Indians of the California League, in the Detroit Tigers organization in 1953, going 11-6, 3.26 in 20 starts. […]

Lee Elder, Golfer born

*Lee Elder was born on this date in 1934. He is an African American golfer.

Willie Davis, Football Player and Businessman born

*Willie Davis was born on this date in 1934.  He was a Black professional football player and businessman.   William Delford Davis was from Lisbon, La. He was 8 when his parents separated, and he moved with his mother and two younger siblings to Texarkana, Ark. His mother was a cook at a country club.  Young Davis earned a scholarship […]

Roberto Clemente, Baseball Player born

*On this date in 1934, Roberto Clemente was born. He was a Black Puerto Rican baseball player and humanitarian.

Elgin Baylor, Basketball Player, and Coach born

*Elgin Baylor was born on this date in 1934. He was a Black professional basketball player, coach, and executive. Elgin Gay Baylor was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Uzziel (Lewis) and John Wesley Baylor. He began playing basketball when he was 14. Although he grew up near a D.C. city recreation center, Blacks […]

College Footballs ‘Floyd of Rosedale,’ a story

*On this date in 1934 the Floyd of Rosedale trophy story began. This is a football game and rivalry between the University of Iowa and the University of Minnesota that began over racism between the schools.

Floyd Patterson, Boxer born

Floyd Patterson was born on this date in 1935. He was an African American boxer.

From a poor family in Waco, N.C., he was raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Patterson was one of eleven children and an insular and troubled child. Always skipping school and getting caught stealing, he was sent to New York City’s Wiltwyck reform school at aged ten, which he credited with turning his life around. Four years later, he started to box and trained under Cus D’Amato at the Grammercy Gym. Patterson won a gold medal at the 1952 Olympics while fighting as a middleweight.

Earl Battey, Athlete, and Educator born

*On this date in 1935, Earl Battey was born. He was an African American baseball player and teacher.

Joseph Dorsey Jr., Boxer, and Activist born

*Joseph Dorsey was born on this date in 1935.  He was a Black professional boxer and activist.  The New Orleans-born Joseph “Joe” Dorsey Jr. began boxing at 16 and retired from the sport at age 31.  Boxing in New Orleans, a hotbed of enthusiasm for the sport, was segregated as early as 1892 when Black […]

Pete Brown, Golfer born

*Pete Brown was born on this date in 1935. He is an African American golfer.

From Jackson, Mississippi Brown got his PGA Tour Card in 1963. One year later Brown became the first African American to Win a PGA event the Waco Turner Open in 1964. He married Margaret Brown with whom he had Six Girls. Brown spent 17 years on PGA Tour and a number of wins tow of which were PGA Victories. Browns tournament Victories include: Four Time USG (Negro) National Open Champion. Brown was a four time Long Star Open Champion, and a three Time North & South Champion.

The Newark Eagles Baseball Team, a story

*On this date in 1936, The Newark Eagles are celebrated. They were a professional Negro League Baseball team.   They were owned by Abe and Effa Manley and played in the Negro National League from 1936 to 1948. The Newark Eagles were formed in 1936 when the Newark Dodgers, established in 1933, merged with the Brooklyn Eagles, established in 1935. Abe Manley and his African American wife, owners and founders of the […]

‘Cookie’ Gilchrist, Football Player born

“Cookie” Gilchrist was born on this date in 1935. He was an African American professional football player.

The Bismark Grays Baseball Team, a story

*The Bismarck Grays is celebrated on this date in 1935. They were a North Dakota-integrated national semi-pro baseball. Neil Churchill moved to Bismarck in 1919 and began playing for a city team called the Grays. By 1926, Churchill was named team manager, and he decided to eliminate the previous practice of paying some of the […]