Jackie Robinson-First Black in Professional Baseball

At the end of World War II there were no black players in major league baseball. The president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, however, intended to change that. For three years his scouts had searched the black leagues for a very special man--talented enough to succeed on the field and mature enough to take the abuse that would certainly come his way. In the summer of 1945 they made their choice. He was Jackie Robinson, shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs.

A college graduate and former All-American football player and Army officer, Jackie Robinson proved to be even more special than Branch Rickey and his scouts could have hoped. He played baseball with an intensity and skill that few players had ever shown. He faced scorn and prejudice with courage and conviction. Later, he displayed the same talents in business and politics. As vice-president of Chock Full O'Nuts and an eloquent spokesman for the NAACP he fought for equal opportunity in the workplace, condemned the rising use of drugs, and urged a return to family values.

Inducted in to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, Jackie Robinson is remembered mainly for making "baseball's greatest experiment" a success. But both on and off the field he earned a lasting place in American history.