Philadelphia, PA Inductees (2003)
MAL WHITFIELD
In Los Angeles in 1932, eight-year-old Malvin G. Whitfield took time out from selling fruits and vegetables in Watts to sneak into the Olympics Games. What he saw there inspired in him his own dream…to be an Olympic champion.
He also was inspired by the great Ohio State Olympian Jesse Owens and determined that he, too, would attend Ohio State. He recalls that… “faith was with me. It all happened the way I hoped someday it would.” Mr. Whitfield attended Ohio State between 1946, ’47, ’48 and 1950. His favorite spot on campus when he wasn’t in training with the Union Hall, where he and his fellow students had “friendly fireside chats,” and looked forward to a comfortable place to discuss campus politics and future plans, for instance, “Where do we go from here?
Where indeed? In 1948, Mr. Whitfield went to the Olympic games in London, where he achieved part of his dream. He won a gold medal in the 4 x 400-meter relay event, a gold medal in the 800-meter, and a bronze in the 400-meter. And in 1952, after having served as a bombardier/tail-gunner during the Korean conflict (becoming the first person on active duty to win a gold medal, he went to the Helsinki Olympics, where he garnered a silver medal in the 4 x 400 and a gold in the 800-meter.4 x 400-meter relay events.
In addition to his Olympic victories, he won three gold medals in the 1951 Pan American games in the 400-meter, 800-meter, and 4 x 400-meter relay events. His incredible athletic abilities and determination enabled him to set 18 world records while winning 66 of 69 events in which he competed. In 1954, he won the Sullivan Award as the outstanding amateur athlete in North America. He has been inducted into the Ohio State University Sports Hall of Fame, The California State University at Los Angeles Hall of Fame, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, and the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame.
LEE ELDER
Lee Elder got his start in golf as a caddy at the young age of nine years old shortly after the death of his parents. His only interest at the time was to earn enough money to put food on the table for himself and his siblings.
Prior to joining the PGA Tour, Lee participated on the UGA Tour from 1959-1966. In 1966, he won 16 of 20 tournaments and was named UGA Player of the Year from 1959 to 1966.
Mr. Elder turned professional in 1959 and joined the PGA Tour in 1967. His tour victories include the Monsanto Open in 1974, the Houston Open n 1976, and the greater Milwaukee Open and American Express Westchester Classic, both in 1978.
He was the first African American to play in the Masters Tournament. In 1972, he became the first African American to go to South Africa and compete in the multi-racial competition.
At the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1978, Lee participated in what was, at the time, the longest playoff in PGA Tour history. He defeated Lee Trevino in an eight-hole playoff.
He has eight Senior PGA victories. He established the Senior Tour record for the lowest 18-hole score (11 under par 61) and is member of the USA Ryder Cup Team.
WILT CHAMBERLAIN
Wilt was born on August 21, 1936 in Philadelphia, PA as an average size baby. He was 6’3” tall when he graduated from elementary school. He grew to 6’9” during the summer. His love for basketball started to grow in junior high even as he continued his passion for track and field.
By the time Wilt entered high school he was 6’11”. After summers of playground ball with some of the most outstanding local basketball players, he had developed into one of the greatest high school basketball players ever. Wilt became a two-time All-American at the University of Kansas, but left after his junior year to fulfill one of his dreams to join the Harlem Globetrotters.
This gave Wilt the opportunity to learn other facets of the game. In 1959, the Philadelphia Warriors drafted Wilt. His 14-year tenure in the NBA brought the NBA to a whole new level. Because of Wilt, percentages of attendance went up, new arenas were built, pay scales for players increased and rules were changes to prevent him from totally dominating the court.
Wilt set the record of “Most Points of 31,419, which were scored in a 14 year period. During his rookie year, he was Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player in and All Star Game, All NBA Team, Most Valuable Player of the Year and was the only center in the league to ever lead the league in assist.
Wilt Chamberlain was a man of many facets; in fact, he was truly a renaissance man.
THEODORE RADCLIFFE (Negro League Baseball)
Theodore “Double Duty” Radcliffe is the oldest living baseball player. He turned 102 years old on July 7, 2004. He was born in 1902 in Mobile, Alabama. He was one of 9 children. Playing in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Cuba, “Double Duty” was involved in 502 wins while hammering 430 homers. He appeared in six All-Star games. Renowned New York City sportswriter, Damon Runyon, coined Double Duty’s nickname after watching him work both ends of a Negro League doubleheader in 1932.
In 1935, his team won the pennant. “Double Duty” served as the pitcher, catcher, manager, bus driver, secretary, treasurer and player.
The Pittsburgh Crawfords, his team, was playing the Chicago American Giants at Yankee Stadium. In the first game, Radcilffe caught his childhood friend, Satchel Paige, and the Crawfords, won 4-0. In the second game he pitched and the Crawfords won 5-0. Runyon said it was worth the price of two tickets to see “Double Duty” play.
Radcliffe played for 36 years, 22 of them as a player-manager. He was a career .303 hitter for 658 games.
SAM LACY – (Wendell Smith Media Award)
Sam Lacy, who receives the Wendell Smith Media Award while being inducted into the Hall of Fame, and had been involved with sports in various capacities since the 1930s. He coached the Alpha Phi Alpha Basketball team. Washington Young Women’s Christian Association and National Champion Women’s Basketball Team.
Mr. Lacy was the Sports Editor of the Afro-American Newspapers in Baltimore, MD since the early 40s as well as Assistant National Editor of the Chicago Defender. He was a Sports Commentator at WBAL-TV in Baltimore in the 60s and 70s, Sports Editor of the Washington Afro-American, Sports Editor and Managing Editor of the Washington Tribune sand Sports Commentator at radio station WOL: and WINX.
Mr. Lacy covered Olympic games from the early 60s, in Los Angeles (1984), Montreal (1976), Munich (1972), Mexico (1968), Tokyo (1964), and Rome (1960). Mr. Lacy has received many awards over the years.
President Clinton signed a bill to name Baltimore U.S. Postal Service facility “The Samuel H. Lacy Post Office Building” in October 2000.
Mr. Lacy passed away in May 2003 at the age of 99.
COACH EDDIE ROBINSON
For the legendary Grambling State University Coach, Eddie Robinson, football has always been the driving force motivating one of the most successful men in the country. Football was much more than a game for Robinson; it was a way of life and a way of being the best he could be.
The 79-year old Robinson consistently fielded stellar football teams and guided his young charges to successful lives both on and off the gridiron. The “winnings coach in the history of college football” remains humble, crediting his players, his family, his loving wife of 56 years, Doris, and the media and football fans from all over the world for making the name Eddie Robinson synonymous with the best that college football had to offer.
There was no Grambling football during World War II years of 1943-44, but the sport resumed in 1945 and that year, Robinson’s Tigers went 10-2. During the war years, Robinson won a high school championship as the Grambling High School football coach, but he faced a different type of obstacle in 1945.
“That year, a daddy pulled his sons off the team and said they couldn’t play anymore because the had to pick cotton,” Robinson said, so, I got all the boys on the team and we packed up and went out there to pick the cotton and went on to win the championship.”
By 1949, Grambling’s football team was receiving national acclaim after running back Paul “Tank” Younger signed with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, becoming the first player from a historically black college to be taken by the NFL.
In 1955, Grambling took the National Black College Championship by going 10-0 (the best record in school history) and outscored opponents by a 356-61 margin. On October 7th, 1995, Robinson became the first collegiate coach to break the 400-win barrier.
MARQUES HAYNES
Marques Haynes was considered the World’s Greatest Dribbler in the history of basketball. At Langston University in Oklahoma, he was the starting guard and was chosen All-Conference guard for four consecutive years as well. He was the team’s high scored for four years as his team went undefeated for two consecutive seasons in 1943-44 and 1944-45.
They defeated the pro team, Kansas City Stars in 1945, a team he would later join. Marque joined the Harlem Globetrotters and was a member of the starting five for 14 years and was player-coach for 15 years. He has played in more than 12,500 basketball games and played against more players than any other player in the history of the game. He holds records for scoring the most points ever, more than 250,000 and played competitive basketball longer than any player in the history of the game as he played professional for 51 years.
Marques toured Europe for the first time in 1950. He appeared in the Harlem Globetrotters story in 1950 as well as “Go Man Go” about the Globetrotters in 1953.
