Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play major league
baseball. He made his major league debut at Ebbets Field in 1947 as
a Brooklyn Dodger. In 1955, he helped the Dodgers win the World
Series.Robinson retired in 1957, with a career batting average of
311. He was the first African-American to be inducted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame on July 3, 1962. The Dodgers retired his
uniform number #42 in 1972.

Jackie Robinson at his induction ceremony into the Baseball Hall
of Fame

The Jackie Robinson Hall of Fame plaque

George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878 – November 5, 1942)

George M. Cohan was a playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer,
dancer and producer. He began his career as a child, performing with
his parents and sister in a vaudeville act known as "The Four Cohans.

He is considered the father of American musical comedy. His life and
music were depicted in the Academy Award–winning film Yankee Doodle
Dandy (1942) and the 1968 musical George M!. A statue of Cohan in
Times Square in New York City commemorates his contributions to
American musical theatre.

The establishment of the Veterans Administration (VA) came in 1930 when
Congress authorized President Hoover to "consolidate and coordinate
Government activities affecting war veterans." The three component
agencies became bureaus within the Veterans Administration. Brigadier
General Frank T. Hines, who directed the Veterans Bureau for seven
years, was named as the first Administrator of Veterans Affairs, a job
he held until 1945.

President Herbert Hoover

The monologue "What it Was, Was Football" was recorded in 
Raleigh, NC for the Colonial label in 1953. Soon, Colonial had 
sold nearly 50,000 copies of the record and then sold the 
masters to Capitol Records. Capitol released the record in 
the same year, and soon had sold nearly 800,000 copies
and was instrumental in launching Griffith’s career in TV,
stage, and film. The record is still one of the biggest
selling comedy records of all time. On the original single,
(below) the monologue is credited to "Deacon Andy Griffith."