Jackie Robinson Stamp Part I of II

Born on January 31, 1919, Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson became the first African American major league baseball player. He was born in Cairo, Georgia and was the youngest of five children. Jackie received his middle name in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt who died 25 days before his birth. Jackie’s family moved to California in 1920 after his father abandoned them. His family, who were sharecroppers, lived in poverty for his entire childhood.

Robinson excelled in several different sports in high school. He played several positions on the baseball team, quarterback on the football team, and guard on the basketball team. He was also on the tennis team and won awards for the broad jump in track and field. He went on to Pasadena Junior College where his athletic prowess continued. He played various sports for the college and in 1939 he received a gold pin and was named to the school’s “Order of the Mast and Dagger”, a very prestigious acknowledgement that awarded his athletic abilities.

His next stop on his career path was attending the University of California, Los Angeles. He became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four different sports; baseball, track and field, football and basketball. In 1941, with his degree nearly in site, Jackie had to withdraw from the UCLA for financial reasons.

Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion to this post.