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Q&A With Larry Lester

(interview me)

Larry Lester
Project Manager, Sprint
Location: Kansas City, MO United States
Joined: Feb 17th, 2009

About (request update)

As one of the founders of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, Missouri, he served as their Research Director and Treasurer for five years (1991-1995). He was instrumental in development of the Museum's business plan and licensing program that has become one of its primary revenue sources.

He also served as Senior Editor for the Museum's quarterly newsletter Silhouettes, and its annual yearbook Discover Greatness!. The Museum’s current static exhibition was developed in 1995 from Lester’s personal collection of photographs, researched material, and memorabilia. Likewise, Lester developed the traveling Negro League exhibit that has been showcased each year at Major League Baseball’s FanFest during All-Star Week since 1993. A similar exhibit “Discover Greatness” owned by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has debut at various museums nationally since 1999. He left the NLBM in 1995.

From 2000 to 2004, Lester was under contract with the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown, New York, to do a comprehensive study of African American baseball from the Civil War up through the mid-fifties, appropriately called “Out of the Shadows.” Project findings are to be released in the near future, with several publications expected from this academic study. In 2006, he served on the Special Negro Leagues Committee for the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, selecting a record 17 new Negro League players, executives, and managers.

A dedicated advocate, Lester campaigns for retroactive pensions for worthy Negro League players and raises funds to purchase headstones to be placed on unmarked graves of athletes. He was instrumental in securing retroactive Major League Baseball pensions for more than 85 former Negro Leaguers, while involving approximately 150 former players in MLB Properties’ royalty program from the sale of Negro League caps, jerseys and related apparel. More recently, in 2006, he successfully campaigned with Senator Bill Nelson (of Florida) and the Satchel Paige family for Congress to designate May 20th as `Negro Leaguers Recognition Day'.

Lester remains in contact with more than 230 former players and their families on a regular basis. His research library, compiled from 35+ years of labor, includes thousands of vintage photographs, an array of video sport documentaries, personal audio interviews, and more than 75,000 clipping files on black athletes, along with the only known statistical database of batting and pitching records for approximately 3,200 Negro leaguers from 1867 to 1948.

My Interview Question

Who are your favorite athletes in baseball, football, basketball and track?

Current Whereabouts:

Writing a new book about Andrew "Rube" Foster and developing a Negro Baseball League Encyclopedia.

Website:

http://www.LarryLester42.com

Education (request update)

Columbia Col class of 1976

Undergrad Major:

High School: Central High School in Kansas City, MO class of 1967

Experience

I currently work with Sprint as Project Manager
I have 30 years of experience working in the Telecommunications industry.