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Ohio Wesleyan to Celebrate Branch Rickey – Jackie Robinson Week
Free Series of January Events Will Commemorate a Legacy That Changed History

Jackie Robinson (left) and Dodgers President Branch Rickey in 1950.

Photo courtesy of the Chicago Tribune Archives

The weeklong Rickey-Robinson celebration will include several free, public events including a night of movies at Delaware’s Strand Theatre, a one-man theatre performance by a Rickey character actor, and a sports roundtable discussion featuring representatives from Cleveland Indians, Columbus Clippers, and more.

The week’s highlight will be the Heisler Business Ethics Lecture presented by Rickey’s grandson, Branch B. Rickey, president of Minor League Baseball’s Pacific Coast League. He will discuss the Rickey-Robinson legacy from his unique first-person perspective. Branch B. Rickey is a 1967 Ohio Wesleyan graduate, and his grandfather was a member of OWU’s Class of 1904.

Events currently scheduled for Ohio Wesleyan’s Rickey-Robinson Week celebration include:

• 7 p.m. Jan. 24 – Take Me Out to … the Movies. Ohio Wesleyan and the Strand Theatre, 28 E. Winter St., team up for an evening of free community entertainment with movies that celebrate Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson, and America’s favorite pastime. The evening will feature “The Jackie Robinson Story,” starring Robinson as himself, and “Roberto: The Roberto Clemente Story,” featuring Hector Elizondo and Raul Julia.
• 7 p.m. Jan. 25 – Chuck Chalberg as Branch Rickey. This actor, author, and historian is well-known for his captivating, one-man show providing a “first person” account of Rickey’s amazing life. This free performance will be held on the Main Stage inside OWU’s Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave. A reception and book signing will follow Chalberg’s performance. Guests also will be able to take photos with “Branch Rickey.”
• 4:30 p.m. Jan. 26 – Baseball Roundtable. Branch B. Rickey talks baseball with Bob DiBiasio, a 1977 OWU graduate and vice president of public relations for the Cleveland Indians; Ken Schnacke, president and general manager of the Columbus Clippers; and Roger Ingles, OWU’s athletics director and former Battling Bishop baseball coach. Moderated by Mark Cooper, OWU’s director of marketing and communication, and a former sports journalist. In the Benes Rooms in Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave. This event will be streamed online at StreamOWU.
• Jan. 27 – Honoring Rachel Robinson. Ohio Wesleyan presents Jackie Robinson’s widow, Rachel, with the University’s Branch Rickey Award. This marks only the second time in history that Ohio Wesleyan has bestowed the prestigious award. Tennis great Arthur Ashe received the award in 1988. This private ceremony also will recognize Ohio Wesleyan’s previous Jackie Robinson Scholars and feature remarks from Robinson’s daughter, Sharon.
• 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 – Branch B. Rickey presents the annual Heisler Business Ethics Lecture, “More than Sport: The Branch Rickey-Jackie Robinson Legacy.” This free event will be held in OWU’s Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St. The presentation is hosted by the university’s Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship. It is funded by the Heisler Family Endowment for the Study of Ethics, in honor of Ohio Wesleyan graduates James Heisler, Class of 1938; Robert Heisler, Class of 1942, and Bruce Heisler, Class of 1949.
• Jan. 13-Feb. 20 – Take Me Out to … the Museum. OWU’s Ross Art Museum features a special exhibit of Branch Rickey and other baseball memorabilia. The exhibit, “Branch Rickey & Jackie Robinson: A Partnership in Vision and Courage,” will include photographs from David Levinthal and Jim Dow. Levinthal is well-known for photographing commercially manufactured toy figurines in studio settings, including a realistic recreation of Jackie Robinson stealing home during his Brooklyn Dodger days. Dow has photographed baseball stadiums around the country, including panoramic images of the home fields of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates. The exhibit also will include vintage baseball cards and Branch Rickey memorabilia including letters, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles. Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is always free. An exhibit reception will be held at the museum from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 13.

On Jan. 31, Ohio Wesleyan will continue its exploration of race and baseball with a free screening of the documentary “Playing Pastime: American Indians, Softball, and Survival,” by LeAnne Howe (Choctaw) and James Fortier (Metis/Ojibwe). This event will be held at 4:10 p.m. in Room 312 of the R.W. Corns Building, 78 S. Sandusky St. Schedule permitting, filmmaker Fortier will speak with the audience via Skype after the screening.