Sports in America

The thrilling Sports in America: 1950 to 1959 covers a crucial ten years in sports history in a concise, easy-to-use format. Organized by year, this reference documents key contributions, athletes, new records, and championships, among other things. Numerous photographs, resources, and helpful indexes make this an ideal resource for sports fans, athletes and coaches, and middle and high school students. Sample entries include: 1950: Three African-American athletes become the first to play in the National Basketball Association - Chuck Cooper for the Boston Celtics, Nat ""Sweetwater"" Clifton for the New York Knicks, and Earl ""Big"" Cat Lloyd for the Washington Capitols. 1954: Babe Didrikson Zaharias, often called the greatest female athlete, wins the U.S. Women's Open in golf at the Salem Country Club by a phenomenal 12 strokes, after returning from a battle with cancer and surgery earlier that year. 1953: Eighteen-year-old Maureen Connelly (""Little Mo"") sweeps the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbeldon, and the U.S. Open to become the first female tennis player - and only the second person - to win a Grand Slam. 1957: Jim Brown bursts onto the scene, leading the NFL with 942 rushing yards and being named the league's most valuable player by the Associated Press. 1959: The Little League World Series is played for the first time, 20 years after the league was founded.