IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION urging the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to select the legendary John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil as the recipient of the 87th NAACP Spingarn Medal.
Intro
RESOLUTION # 13968, December 17, 2001
INTRODUCED BY Ronald E. Finley, County Legislator
Body
WHEREAS, the Spingarn Medal, established by Joel Elias Spingarn who was elected Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1914, has honored the achievements of distinguished African Americans for many years; and,
WHEREAS, in 1915, Earnest Everett Just, a former professor of Biology at Howard University, was the first distinguished African-American to receive this award; and,
WHEREAS, other award recipients included John Hope Franklin, Charles W. Chestnut, Mary McLeod Bethune, Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Earl G. Graves, Sr, Meyrlie Evers-Williams, Rosa Parks, among many others; and,
WHEREAS, John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil, Chairman of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, has been nominated by the local chapter of the NAACP and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to receive the 87th Annual Spingarn Medal; and,
WHEREAS, although segregation once denied him the opportunity to play baseball in the Major Leagues, Buck O'Neil is still widely regarded as baseball's greatest ambassador; and,
WHEREAS, he joined the Negro Leagues as first baseman with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1938, led the Negro Leagues in batting average in 1946, and was named manager of the team in 1948; and,
WHEREAS, he helped desegregate the game of baseball in 1962 by joining the Chicago Cubs as the first African American coach in the history of the Major Leagues, coaching future Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Lou Brock; and,
WHEREAS, during his baseball career he played on nine championship teams, managed five East-West All Star Classics, played in three East-West games, stared in two Negro Leagues World Series, won th Negro National League batting title, and played in countless exhibition games; and,
WHEREAS, in 1988 he returned to the Kansas City area as a scout for the Kansas City Royals baseball team and was named "Midwest Scout of the Year" in 1998; and,
WHEREAS, Buck O'Neil was born November 13, 1911, in Carrabelle, Florida and celebrated his 90th birthday with the Jackson County community on November 13, 2001; and,
WHEREAS, he passionately believes in keeping alive the history and lessons of Negro Leagues baseball and has lived that passion by creating the vision of and building the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City; and,
WHEREAS, he has been actively involved in baseball for more than 60 years and continues to demonstrate his unwavering commitment to the rich history of the game; and,
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper to recognize John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil for his historic accomplishments as a baseball player, manager, coach, scout, activist, businessman and Negro Leagues baseball legend; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Legislature urges the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to select John Jordan "Buck' O'Neil as the recipient of the 87th Spingarn Medal.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________ ________________________________
County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution # 13968 of December 17, 2001 was duly passed on ___________December 17________________, 2001 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas ________9_________ Nays ______0________
Abstaining ______0_______ Absent _____0_______
______________________ _________________________________
Date Mary Jo Brogoto, Clerk of Legislature