James Leslie Wilkinson - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

J. L. Wilkinson was the owner and founder of the legendary Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues. The Monarchs were one of the best and most well known Negro League teams winning the Negro National League Pennant four times in the 1920’s and seven Negro American League Championship in the 1930’s and 40’s. Some of the greatest players in baseball history played for Wilkinson’s Monarchs including Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks, Hilton Smith, Satchel Page and Cool Papa Bell. James L. Wilkinson died on August 21, 1964 and was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Source/Credit:http://www.nlbpa.com/wilkinson_jl.html

Description: James Leslie Wilkinson was born on May 14, 1878 in Algona, Iowa. He began his baseball career in his home state of Iowa, as a pitcher, until he hurt his arm. He then became a baseball entrepreneur, first in 1909 with a traveling women's team. In 1912, he organized the All Nations in Des Moines. The team, which had Black, White and Indian American players as well as members from Latin America and Asia, was a top barnstorming club until broken up by World War I's demand for several of its players. Wilkinson by then had made the larger city of Kansas City his base, and reorganized his team as the Monarchs after the war. He is regarded as one of the most innovative and creative Negro leagues owners. He was the principal owner of the Kansas City Monarchs from 1920-48, one of less than a handful of dominant Negro leagues teams. The Monarchs ruled two separate leagues in two separate time periods. A charter member of the Negro National League in 1920, the team won its pennant four times in the 1920s (1923-24, ‚26 and ‚29). Then, as a charter member of the Negro American League, the Monarchs finished first seven times (1937-42 and 1946). The Kansas City Monarchs won two of four Negro World Series in which they played. They won the first Series in 1924, defeating Hilldale of the Eastern Colored League. They won the initial Series when the competition resumed in 1942, beating the Homestead Grays. Seven current Hall of Famers elected as Negro leaguers -- Cool Papa Bell, Bill Foster, Satchel Paige, Bullet Rogan, Hilton Smith, Turkey Stearnes and Willie Wells -- played for Wilkinson's Monarchs, as did Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks and Elston Howard, among others, before integrating white organized baseball. Wilkinson himself was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. J. L. Wilkinson died on August 21, 1964 and is resting in the Garden Mausoleum at the Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri. Date of birth: 05/14/1878 Date of death: 08/21/1964 Area of notoriety: Sports Marker Type: Tomb (above ground) Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily, Dawn to Dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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