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275185 � . � ' � • , � � �(i�--,,-� � ����� � =�t,�1'`. �"tii't . , V` t May 29, 1980 The Honorable George Latimer Mayor, City of St. Paul Room 347 , City Hall � St. Paul, MN 55102 Dear Mayor Latimer: We are requesting that the name of the Oxford Recreation Center be changed to the "Jimmy Lee Recreation Center. " We have city-wide support for this request. Since this _ recreation center is located in the Council 8 District, we followed all of their guidelines. We appeared before their entire council, their executive committee, their core committee, ancl finally once again before their entire council . On April 7 , 1980, they gave their approval. Jim Lee was one of the great sports officials of this era. When Jim broke into the sports officiating business years ago, he was a real pioneer. Jim went to many small towns in Minnesota and . Wisconsin who would never see a Black man until he returned the following year, and he did a yeoman job in race relations during that period. Jim at baseball worked everything; from the playgrounds , American Legion, high schools, colleges and universities, and semi-pro. Jim was the first Black umpire to work in the Big Ten. He was selected to offtciate in the Big Ten by the late Dick Siebert, Dave Winfield' s former baseball coach. He officiated baseball games and tournaments for the Minnesota High School League and and the N.C.C.A. Regional plus the Western Minnesota League, the Southern Dsinnesota League, and the St. �aul Suburban League. At basketball under the old system, Jim worked anproximately 20 out of the 32 districts and six out of the eight regions. He worked the N.A. I .A. Play Offs and in the P�.A.I .C. , N.I .C. , W. I .A. , and the Midwest College Conference. �Ahen the Hamline-St. Thomas series was the biggest college basketball series in the P4idwest, Jim was selected 'to work it on many occasions. ` . . • , < • _ ' Mayor Latimer May 29, 1980 Page 2 At football, Jim officiated in all the above named conferences - plus was voted into the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame, the only official to this date that has ever received such an honor. He was also recently honored by the r4innesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association. Jim Lee came to Minnesota more than half a century ago from Mississippi and attended Mechanic Arts High School. � After high school, he worked at a variety of jobs and played semi-pro baseball with some out of state teams and with several local teams. He was athletic Director at the Hallie Q. Brown Center and in later years was a member of their Board. In the thirties when Jim was Athletic Director at Hallie Q. Brown, he touched the lives of many persons who grew up in the Summit-University area. . He was a top flight golfer, a member of the Phalen Park Golf � Club and the Twin City Golf Club. He took an active pa�t in the Jimmy Slemmons Open Golf Tournament. � He also spent a great deal of time, effort, and money supporting athletic Drojects for Marshall Jr. High, Central High School , and Mechanic Arts. He was a long time member of the St. Vincent De Paul Society, St. Peter Claver Mens Club, Crejafawn Club, and many other organizations too numerous to mention. He worked for years at the First National Bank from where he retired a couple years ago. Jim and his family were members of St. Peter Claver ' Catholic Church. His widow, Jane Lee, currently resides on Carroll Avenue near the Oxford Playground. This action is sponsored by the committee for renaming Oxford Recreation Center. People on this committee are: ' Rev. James Battle, Pastor, Mount Olivet Baptist Church Dr. George Berry, City of St. Paul Civil Service Comm. . Charles Breeze, President, N.A.A.C.P. Father Brown, St. Peter Claver Catholic Church Mahmoud E1 Kati, Professor, Macal�ster College Dave Goodloe, Oxford Playground Activist James S. Griffin, St. Paul School Board Jeffery Hassan, Attorney at Law Robert Hickman, St. Paul Businessman, Inner-City Youth League Avesta Kelly, Oxford Playground Director Kwame McDonald, Summit-University Crime Council Katy McWatt, Urban League Jim Robinson, Teen Loft Center Julian Stafford, St. Paul Businessman • ` • , � . ' � Mayor Latimer May 29 , 1980 Page 3 Committee members (continued) : . Father Chester Talton, St. Philip Episcopal Church George Todd, Retired Burlington Northern Employee Mrs. Willie Ma� Wilson, Executive Director, St. Paul Urban League William Wilson; City Council Electect Fred Williams, �Director, Hallie Q. Brown Center Steve Winfieldy Urban League O.J.T. Paul Wood, Retired Burlington Northern Employee Sincerely, ,.' ^ `'�� , � , �. A . / . ��..���.�,.., ,, ,;_�,���J .-''�\-�-�--[� -f^., James S. Griffin r Co-Chai.rman � � . ,� � �� � :- � 1---� / � P�u/'� taood(i �_/ �l-�- � Co-Chairman JSG:sp � cc: Joanne Showalter, Councilwoman � �m Kelley, Community Services Robert Piram, Parks and Recreation , . . . � ►r � � � .. � � . . . . . . . . � . .� � .. � . OM 01s 12/1975 Rev. : 9/8/76 EXPLANATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS, 0 , I . :�151�� . _ �tECEIVED D�te : June �6, �98o JUSJ 2 �l 1?$p , 1NAYOR'S QFFiC� TO: MAYOR GEORGE LATIMER �� Thomas J. Kelley ' RE: Council Resolution concerning renaming the Oxford Recreation Center the "Jimmy Lee Recreation Center" ACT�.4��D� Approval of Council REsolution PURPOSE AND RATIONALE FOR THIS ACTION: District 8 Planning Council and residents of the area have requested this change. ATTACHIKENTS: Council REsolution Copy of letter from Deputy Chief Griffin, Chairman of the committee requesting this change.