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Ohio Wesleyan alumnus Branch Rickey (1904) and the Branch Rickey-Jackie Robinson Legacy: Ohio Wesleyan held a special Branch Rickey-Jackie Robinson Week from Jan. 24-27, 2011, to celebrate the extraordinary legacy of these men in integrating Major League Baseball. Their actions to end racial segregation in professional sports preceded and helped set the stage for the US Civil Rights movement. “Branch Rickey’s commitment to racial equality was solidified during his time as a student and baseball coach at Ohio Wesleyan after he witnessed the despair of a black athlete denied hotel lodging with his white teammates,” said University President Rock Jones, Ph.D. “As Rickey watched the distraught athlete pulling at his skin, Rickey vowed that if he ever had the chance to help end segregation, he would do so without hesitation. A man of his word, Rickey changed history when, as president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, he signed Jackie Robinson.” During the week, Ohio Wesleyan presented its Branch Rickey Award to Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson, founder of The Jackie Robinson Foundation, for her “exceptional personal contribution and commitment to the goal of full equality for all.” Afterward, the University announced that the award was being renamed the “Branch Rickey-Jackie Robinson Award presented by Ohio Wesleyan University” to better reflect the men’s legacy and partnership. This video, created with the assistance of OWU alumnus Tom Goodman (1976) of Goodman Media International and video producer/editor Eric Paulen, shares the story of this <b>…</b>
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