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2021 SPECIAL SESSION I

21103523D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 681
Offered February 1, 2021
Commending Samuel Allen.
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Patrons-- Hayes, Adams, D.M., Carr, Cole, M.L., Convirs-Fowler, Delaney, Heretick, Hope, Kory, McQuinn, Rasoul, Reid, Simonds and Watts; Senators: Spruill, Boysko, Deeds and Howell
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WHEREAS, Samuel Allen, an esteemed baseball player and Norfolk native who made history as a member of the famed Negro American League in the 1950s, has inspired his community for more than 60 years; and

WHEREAS, Samuel “Sam” Allen fell in love with the game of baseball at a young age while watching semiprofessional teams in the Norfolk area with his grandfather; and

WHEREAS, playing from sunup to sundown throughout his childhood, Sam Allen would go on to become a standout athlete in football and baseball at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk; and

WHEREAS, with a towering home run, Sam Allen helped an ad hoc team in Jacksonville, Florida, beat the heralded Kansas City Monarchs during an exhibition game in 1957, launching his professional baseball career; and

WHEREAS, Sam Allen played for the Kansas City Monarchs, Raleigh Tigers, and Memphis Red Sox from 1957 to 1959, traveling far and wide to play teams throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, as a left fielder for the Kansas City Monarchs in 1957, Sam Allen led the National American League in runs scored and helped his team win a championship title; and

WHEREAS, Sam Allen’s professional baseball career ended when he was drafted into the United States Army in 1960; he served his country with courage and valor as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and continued to play baseball recreationally for many years thereafter; and

WHEREAS, Sam Allen’s noteworthy contributions to the history of baseball have been recognized by his induction to the African American Sports Hall of Fame, the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame, and the Tidewater Baseball Shrine at Harbor Park in Norfolk; and

WHEREAS, Sam Allen has been honored as a distinguished guest at numerous baseball commemorations in recent years, including official events at the Library of Congress and the White House; and

WHEREAS, Sam Allen has long been active with various programs and conventions dedicated to memorializing the Negro leagues, ensuring that this important chapter in the history of baseball will be remembered for years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Samuel Allen, a Norfolk native who played in the historic Negro American League, for his inspirational accomplishments both on and off the diamond; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Samuel Allen as an expression of the General Assembly’s high esteem and admiration for his achievements and many contributions to the Commonwealth.