Jackie Robinson

By Dan Skoglund

Early Years

• Born January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia.• Youngest of five children of Jerry and

Mallie Robinson.  • Attended UCLA for his college education in

1939. • While at UCLA, Jackie lettered in football,

baseball, basketball and track.• Enlists into the United States Army in 1942.

Early Years of Baseball Career

• Robinson begins to play with the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Negro League in 1945. 

• Later in 1945, Robinson signs a contract to play in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization.

Highlights of Jackie with the Dodgers

• Wins the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947

• Voted National League MVP in 1949

• Retires from baseball in 1957 after helping the dodgers win six pennants and one world series

• Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. 

       

Life After Baseball

• In 1957, Robinson became vice president of Chock Full O’ Nuts, a coffee and restaurant chain. 

• He later co-founded Freedom National Bank of Harlem, where he served as the chairman of the board from 1964 to 1972. 

Civil Rights

• Starting in 1957, Robinson traveled throughout the country to raise funds for the NAACP. 

• His efforts through the NAACP led him to a close relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King and other civil right leaders

Politics

• Robinson’s concern with politics led him to influence leaders such as Dwight Eisenhower, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Rockefeller. 

• He was appointed to special assistant of community affairs in Rockefeller’s campaign in the 1964 presidential election. 

Later Years

• Died October 24, 1972 in Stamford, Connecticut•  The Jackie Robinson Foundation, which was

founded by Mrs. Rachel Robinson, helps keep Jackie’s spirit alive, by supporting college bound minority and poor young people seeking to develop their potential

•   Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson’s 50th anniversary of breaking the color barrier, by retiring his number 42 in 1997

Why a Hero to Me?

• Jackie Robinson is a hero to me strictly because he embodies the words courage and unselfishness.  He had the courage to ignore the insults and other acts of racism that he met throughout his baseball career.  He was a total selfless person, who was thinking of an entire race, not of himself.  He was admired by millions of people of many races for his talent, but also more for his character.  His goals in life were to better the lives of others, especially minorities. 

Robinson Photos

Quotes

• "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.“- Jackie Robinson

"He struck a mighty blow for equality, freedom and the American way of life. Jackie Robinson was a good citizen, a great man, and a true American champion."-- Ronald Reagan, Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony, 1986