(1919 – 1972) An outstanding college athlete at UCLA, Jackie Robinson served in the Second World War and received an honorable discharge after being court martialed for refusing to conform to segregation in his army base. Later, he played professional baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues until recognized by Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers for his “great experiment” of desegregating major-league baseball.

Signed by the Dodgers organization in 1945, Robinson played for the minor-league Montreal Royals. Joining the Dodgers in 1947, he became the first African American to play major-league baseball, enduring opponents’ racist comments and runners’ attempts to spike him with their cleats. Nevertheless, he went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Dodgers and became a spokesperson for civil rights. The burden of the “great experiment,” however, took its toll—he aged rapidly and died only fifteen years after retiring from baseball.