Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
Encyclopedia
The Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference (JMNLC) is an annual conference sponsored by Negro Leagues
Committee (NLC), a standing committee of the Society for American Baseball Research
(SABR), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. As of 2011, the NLC has held fourteen conferences in various cities known for their history in hosting Negro League baseball teams. The JMNLC is the first and remains the only such event dedicated exclusively to the examination of black baseball history.
The objective of the conference and committee is to encourage the study and research of Negro League baseball
, pre-Negro League baseball, African-Americans in baseball, and the positive influence on American society by the elimination of racial barriers. This national conference attracts scholars, historians, collectors, social activists, and fans of the game. The Conference focus includes scholarly, literary, and educational components.
The Conference has been an annual SABR event since 1998, and was named in memory of Jerry Malloy (1946–2000) after his death. Malloy was a journalist and was considered by his peers in SABR to be a skilled authority on 19th century black baseball. Malloy was an important member of the Negro Leagues Committee and a respected researcher and historian. Admission to the conference is open to all.
The 2011 conference was held in Indianapolis
, Indiana July 21-24 Past conferences have been held in Harrisburg, PA (1998, 2000, 2003), Kansas City, MO (2001, 2006), Chicago, IL (2005, 2008), Atlantic City, NJ (1999), Memphis, TN (2002), Cleveland, OH (2004), Portsmouth, VA (2007), Pittsburgh, PA (2009), and Birmingham, AL (2010).
An authors panel is held, and book signings are done afterward. A bus tour is done of most host cities, citing the memorable spots related to that city's Negro leagues history, and an awards banquet is held in which the four named awards are announced, plus two $2,500 youth scholarships, based upon submitted essays, and two $1,000 library grants. A seminar on Negro leagues history is held during the conference for education professionals, and an academic journal, based on presentations made during the conference, is published later in the year in partnership with McFarland & Company
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Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
Committee (NLC), a standing committee of the Society for American Baseball Research
Society for American Baseball Research
The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown, New York, in August 1971 by Bob Davids of Washington, D.C. The Society's mission is to foster the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball, while generating interest in the game...
(SABR), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. As of 2011, the NLC has held fourteen conferences in various cities known for their history in hosting Negro League baseball teams. The JMNLC is the first and remains the only such event dedicated exclusively to the examination of black baseball history.
The objective of the conference and committee is to encourage the study and research of Negro League baseball
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
, pre-Negro League baseball, African-Americans in baseball, and the positive influence on American society by the elimination of racial barriers. This national conference attracts scholars, historians, collectors, social activists, and fans of the game. The Conference focus includes scholarly, literary, and educational components.
The Conference has been an annual SABR event since 1998, and was named in memory of Jerry Malloy (1946–2000) after his death. Malloy was a journalist and was considered by his peers in SABR to be a skilled authority on 19th century black baseball. Malloy was an important member of the Negro Leagues Committee and a respected researcher and historian. Admission to the conference is open to all.
The 2011 conference was held in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana July 21-24 Past conferences have been held in Harrisburg, PA (1998, 2000, 2003), Kansas City, MO (2001, 2006), Chicago, IL (2005, 2008), Atlantic City, NJ (1999), Memphis, TN (2002), Cleveland, OH (2004), Portsmouth, VA (2007), Pittsburgh, PA (2009), and Birmingham, AL (2010).
Awards
The SABR Negro Leagues Committee announces the following awards during the conference:- The Robert PetersonRobert W. Peterson (writer)Robert W. Peterson was an American newspaper writer who later became a freelance author of magazine articles and books, especially on the topics of sports and Scouting...
Recognition Award: for bodies of work that increase public awareness about the Negro Leagues, akin to Peterson's book “Only The Ball Was White.” - The John Coates Next Generation Award: for recognition of outstanding achievement and dedication by newcomers to the research field.
- The Normal “Tweed” Webb Lifetime Achievement Award: to recognize long-term contributions to the field of Negro League research.
- The Fay VincentFay VincentFrancis Thomas "Fay" Vincent, Jr. is a former entertainment lawyer and sports executive who served as the eighth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from September 13, 1989 to September 7, 1992.-Early life and career:...
Most Valuable Partner (MVP) Award: for the contributor with the greatest impact towards a successful conference and shares former Commissioner Vincent’s vision to recognize the Negro Leagues and its impact on the socialization of American culture.
Events and Programs
Between ten and 14 research presentations are given at every conference, ranging from historical research to statistical studies to entertaining stories, covering any subject related to the history of African-American baseball. A trivia contest (related to Negro leagues history) with prizes for the winner is held, and two auctions (one silent, one live) are conducted. Fundraising is also done to help pay to mark the graves of former Negro league players.An authors panel is held, and book signings are done afterward. A bus tour is done of most host cities, citing the memorable spots related to that city's Negro leagues history, and an awards banquet is held in which the four named awards are announced, plus two $2,500 youth scholarships, based upon submitted essays, and two $1,000 library grants. A seminar on Negro leagues history is held during the conference for education professionals, and an academic journal, based on presentations made during the conference, is published later in the year in partnership with McFarland & Company
McFarland & Company
McFarland & Company, Inc. is a book publisher of primarily academic and adult nonfiction based in Jefferson, North Carolina. Its president and editor-in-chief is Robert Franklin, who began the enterprise in 1979...
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