Roy Campanella

Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy," was an American professional baseball player who played primarily as a catcher. A native of Philadelphia, he was born to Ida, who was African American, and John Campanella, the son of Italian immigrants, and was the youngest of the couple's four children. The family lived first in Germantown and later in the Nicetown section of North Philadelphia, where the children attended integrated schools. He attended Gillespie Junior High School and Simon Gratz High School.

Campanella played in the Negro leagues and the Mexican League for nine years before entering the minor leagues in 1946. He made his Major League Baseball debut in 1948 for the Brooklyn Dodgers and played for the club through 1957. A three-time Most Valuable Player, he is considered one of the greatest catchers in the history of the game.

His playing career ended when he was paralyzed in an automobile crash in January 1958. After retiring as a player as a result of the accident, Campanella held positions in scouting and community relations with the Dodgers. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.