By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Researcher
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the color line when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
After graduating from high school, Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College (PJC), where he continued his athletic career by participating in basketball, football, baseball, and track. On the football team, he played quarterback and safety. He was a shortstop and leadoff hitter for the baseball team, and he broke an American junior college broad-jump record.
On April 3, 1942, Jackie Robinson reported to the Pasadena National Guard Armory from where he was transported to Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, California. After four days of initial processing, Jackie and other inductees boarded a train to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he joined B Company, 8th Training Squadron, Cavalry Replacement Center for thirteen weeks of basic training. Kansas, settled in the mid-nineteenth century by abolitionists and “free states,” was generally tolerant of blacks, but Fort Riley, which enforced segregation policies - despite a black regiment on post – had a population from across the country, including some officers and enlisted men who could not or did not set aside their prejudices and racism when they put on a uniform.
Jackies natural athleticism served him well in basic training and it was there that he became aware of the Cavalry Officers Candidate School at Fort Riley. He applied but was not admitted. Jackie later wrote, “The men in our unit had passed all the tests of OCS, but we were not allowed to start school; we were kept sitting around for at least three months and we could get no answers to our questions about the delay.”
While waiting on the decision about attending OCS, Jackie remained assigned to the Replacement Center. He and others cleaned stalls, groomed horses, and assisted in administering vaccinations. Eventually, Jackie and seventy-seven others were admitted to the OCS program and later graduated at Fort Riley.
Robinson's character, his use of nonviolence, and his talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation that had then marked many other aspects of American life. He influenced the culture of and contributed significantly to the civil rights movement. Robinson's character, his use of nonviolence and his talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation that had then marked many other aspects of American life.
If you are interested in learning more about local Black history, visit the Geary County Historical Society Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4 pm to visit the newest exhibit: The Missing Piece, Black History in Geary County, and pick up your map of the Black History Trail to explore Black history throughout Geary County.
Source: The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson by Michael Lee Lanning