Sources

Wendell Smith to Eddie Collins. 27 Apr. 1945. National Baseball Hall of Fame, baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/wendell-smith/406. Accessed 4 Dec. 2019

This is a photograph of a letter that Wendell Smith wrote to Eddie Collins, the manager of the Boston Red Sox Baseball Club, thanking him for allowing the three African American players he selected to train at Fenway Park. He also feels it necessary to apologize if their presence caused any inconveniences for him. It shows that the mere presence of black players at such a park could cause a hassle for the owner, and how at this time, racism was alive and thriving. This image also shows how Wendell was one to conduct himself in a professional and polite manner to people of all races, and he recognized the situation his work was putting other people in.

Eddie Collins to Wendell Smith, May 11, 1945. 11 May 1945. The National Baseball Hall of Fame, baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/wendell-smith/355.      Accessed 5 Jan. 2020

This is a picture of the letter Eddie Collins sent to Wendell Smith in response to Smith's letter about the Fenway Park tryout. He tells Smith that the three African American baseball players will be unable to join the team that season because Joe Cronin had supposedly broken his leg and would be unable to see the players before he left with the team. This however, was simply a cover up to hide the fact that he never intended on giving the players a real chance, because of the color of their skin.

Wendell Smith to Branch Rickey. 19 Dec. 1945. The National Hall of Fame, baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/wendell-smith/446. Accessed 5 Jan. 2020

This is a letter from Wendell Smith to Branch Rickey regarding pre-season training at Daytona Beach, Florida. He is trying to ensure that Jackie Robinson has all the housing accommodations he needs for the season. He also inquires about additional African American players to play alongside Robinson, wanting to have the best of the best representing the black population on the field.

Branch Rickey to Wendell Smith. 8 Jan. 1946. The National Baseball Hall of Fame, baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/wendell-smith/446. Accessed 5 Jan. 2020.

This is a letter written by Branch Rickey to Wendell Smith in response to Smith's letter. He assures Wendell that Jackie Robinson will have the proper housing accommodations for pre-season training in Daytona Beach, Florida. He tells him of a black pitcher he found to play alongside Robinson, and he gives credit to Wendell for his contributions and ideas that set the desegregation into motion.

"African American Baseball." History Detectives: Special Investigations, www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/african-american-baseball/. Accessed 17 Dec. 2019

This is a website by PBS that gives specific information about segregation in baseball history, and how and when the color line developed. It also gives details on how the Negro League was affected and eventually dismantled as a result of Jackie Robinson being signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Black History Month, Unsung Heroes: Wendell Smith. Sports Illustrated, www.si.com/mlb/2019/02/14/unsung-heroes-wendell-smith-changed-world-sports-one-column-time. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019

This one minute long clip is a brief summary of how Wendell Smith was able to get Jackie Robinson the attention of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It mentions the tryouts he held, the travel he provided, and the support he gave to Robinson. This video also describes the impact that Wendell had on the world of Major League Baseball.

Baseball History Daily. 13 Feb. 2018, baseballhistorydaily.com/2019/02/13/      it-is-against-the-best-interests-of-baseball/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2019

This website further explains the struggles that Wendell Smith went through to complete his life's mission of desegregating baseball. It explains how Smith wasn't allowed into certain events and areas that he needed to witness in order to cover the story, because of the color of his skin. Finally, gives some instances in which the issue of racism in baseball was openly put on the back burner, and how this left Wendell undeterred. 

"Breaking the Color Line: 1940 to 1946." Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/      collections/jackie-robinson-baseball/articles-and-essays/baseball-the-color-line-and-jackie-robinson/1940-to-1946/. Accessed 17 Dec. 2019

This article gives information about how deeply rooted segregation was in baseball, and how many factors contributed to the need/ want to keep African American players on their knees. It describes the political and financial standpoint of the major league owners, and why the African American baseball players were negatively impacted.

"Cap" Anson. Baseball's Color Barrier, thecolorbarrier.weebly.com/the-gentlemans-agreement.html. Accessed 18 Dec. 2019

This is a picture of "Cap" Anson, a racist baseball player who contributed in the push for the gantlemen's agreement. He was such a supporter of racism that Anson wanted to ensure he, nor any other white man, would ever be forced to play baseball alongside a black player. 

Discrimination Has No Place in Baseball ... These Cubs Agree. 1939. Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/clip/10662716/ the_pittsburgh_courier/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2020

This newspaper clipping from the Pittsburgh Courier was an article written by Wendell Smith, interviewing white baseball players about their opinion on playing with black players. As none of the men wanted to appear as though they were racist, most of them replied that they had no issue with playing alongside African American players. This helped to further build the case against segregation in baseball.

Great Black Heroes. www.greatblackheroes.com/sports/wendell-smith/. Accessed 2 Dec. 2019

This site displays Wendell Smith's determination and desire to achieve racial equality in Major League Baseball. It describes the efforts he put forth, not only to get black players on the field, but to ensure their safety and security throughout the season. This site shows just how much black players getting the opportunity to play baseball meant to Wendell Smith.

Holtzman, Jerome. "Jackie Robinson and the Great American Pastime ." Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 1993, www.chicagotribune.com/news/ ct-xpm-1993-04-11-9304110194-story.html. Accessed 4 Dec. 2019.

This site is aimed at giving credit to Wendell Smith in the story of Jackie Robinson. It mentions Smith's backstory in Detroit, and the different newspapers he worked for. It goes in depth about life during the process of desegregating baseball, and specifies that in order for his articles to have enough impact, Wendell was sworn to secrecy until is works were published.

Jackie Robinson: A Legacy of Activism. 31 Jan. 2019. The American Prospect, prospect.org/civil-rights/jackie-robinson-legacy-activism/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2020.

This is a picture of Jackie Robinson, a world famous baseball player who, with the help of Wendell Smith, broke the baseball color line.

McClean, Tony. "Journalist Wendell Smith." Black Athlete Sports Network, 30 June2006, blackathlete.net/2006/06/journalist-wendell-smith/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2019

This site mentions specific achievements and contributions Wendell Smith made to the Civil Rights Movement. It includes the different newspapers he worked for, some of the players he helped to get discovered, and several direct quotes from Wendell himself. 

National Baseball Hall of Fame. baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/wendell-smith/373. Accessed 2 Dec. 2019

This site is by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It has multiple pages and stories involving situations such as the time when Wendell was denied a contract with the Detroit Tigers because of his skin color, his efforts towards integrating black players into baseball, and his role in ending racism in Florida during spring training.

"Our Stories." Baseball Hall of Fame, baseballhall.org/      discover-more?category=All&field_related_people_tid=All&field_related_positions_t      id=All&field_related_teams_tid=All&field_related_topics_tid=All&field_content_ser      ies_tid=2513#to-content. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019

This site provides 13 different stories, providing information on the relationship Wendell Smith built with Jackie Robinson, the people he had connections to, the teams he scouted for, and how his work "behind the scenes" impacted the integration of American baseball.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2011/06/05/The-Next-Page-Wendell-Smith-The-Pittsburgh-journalist-who-made-Jackie-Robinson-mainstream/stories/201106050161. Accessed 2 Dec. 2019.

This site focuses on Wendell's work on the Pittsburgh Courier and how his writing influenced the Civil Rights Movement. It helps give an idea of where and how Wendell exercised his influence and how his work compared to that of other great civil rights leaders.

Red Rolfe, Tiger Baseball Scout, with Wish Egan, 1948. Ann Arbor District Library , aadl.org/N077_0641_001. Accessed 8 Dec. 2019

This is a picture of Red Rolfe and Wish Egan intently watching a baseball game in 1948. The two men acted as Scouts for the Detroit Tigers and Wish Egan's interaction with Wendell Smith played a big role in his decision to switch to sports journalism.

Samuel "The Jet" Jethroe . Negro Leagues Baseball Museum , www.nlbemuseum.com/history/players/jethroe.html. Accessed 4 Jan. 2020

This is a photograph of Sam Jethroe, an African American baseball player who was hand picked by Wendell Smith to attend the tryout at Fenway park. He, along with two other players attended this tryout for the Red Sox but were never called back to play for the team.

 The Sherman Report. 18 Apr. 2013, www.shermanreport.com/name-another-sportswriter-who-had-greater-impact-than-wendell-smith-you-cant/. Accessed 2 Dec. 2019

This site gives reference to the great movie 42, and further explains Wendell's role to the story. Plenty of quotes are provided in this site both from and about Wendell Smith.

Shribman, David M. "Hall of Famer Whose Pen Charted Path for Jackie Robinson ." The New York Times, 8 Mar. 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/sports/ baseball/hall-of-famer-whose-pen-charted-path-for-jackie-robinson.html. Accessed 4 Dec. 2019

This site highlights the experience Wendell Smith had with Branch Rickey, the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It gives quotes from the conversations Smith and Rickey had, and shows Smith's words paint Jackie Robinson as a determined and dedicated athlete. This site gives information not only on the process of getting Robinson on the field, but the events that took place and the role that Wendell Smith played after Robinson was signed.

 Turner, Cameron, and Andre Holland, narrators. Jackie Robinson and Wendell Smith. Youtube, 2013

This video provided interesting information about Wendell Smith that further emphasized the fact that he would do anything to see his fight to the end. It told that because he was African American, Wendell was not allowed in the press box during Jackie Robinson's games, so he sat in the stands with a typewriter on his lap. It also explained the conflict he felt with the desegregation of MLB. He knew that once the big leagues started accepting black players, the end of the Negro League, on which he played on and adored, would be near its end. In the end, Wendell's motivation for recommending Robinson for the Major Leagues was to bring an end to segregation and ensure African Americans were no longer denied their basic human rights.

Wiggins, David K. Wendell Smith, the Pittsburgh Courier-Journal and the Campaign to Include Blacks in Organized Baseball, 1933-1945

This book goes in depth about the relationship Wendell Smith and Jackie Robinson developed, and how the actions of Wendell Smith impacted the desegregation of Major League Baseball. It demonstrates the connections Wendell Smith utilized, particularly Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and how his efforts were some of the sole reasons African American ball players were integrated into Major League Baseball.

Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey. Investor's Business Daily, www.investors.com/news/management/leaders-and-success/branch-rickey-revolutionized-baseball-in-more-ways-than-one/. Accessed 5 Jan. 2020.

This is a picture of Jackie Robinson signing a contract to play for Brooklyn Dodgers manager Branch Rickey.