A Letter from Jackie Robinson

Autograph Letter Signed,
Jackie Robinson to Ralph Norton,
May 5, 1947,
Page 2
Manuscript Division,
Jackie Robinson Papers (196C)

When Jackie Robinson began his rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, he became the first African American to play major league baseball in the 20th century, breaking down the "color line" in effect since 1876. In this letter to Ralph Norton, a fellow alumnus of Pasadena Junior College, Robinson reports on his historic debut, the appointment of Burt Shotton as the Dodgers' Manager, and the welfare of his wife and infant son.