CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SPORT IN SOCIETY


	1997 AWARDS BANQUET:
AWARDS BANQUET & HALL OF FAME INDUCTION Presenting Hotel Sponsor Boston Park Plaza Hotel 1997 Banquet Sponsors - HALL OF FAME - American Airlines Delphi Management, Inc. Disney's Wide World of Sports ESPN, Inc. The Gillette Company Major League Baseball Muro Pharmaceutical, Inc. National Basketball Association NFL Players Association New England Patriots Nike Inc. Northeastern University's Office of the President Reebok International Ltd. - BENEFACTORS -- The Anheuser-Busch Companies FOX Sports New England National Football League National Hockey League Northeastern University: College of Arts and Sciences Office of Development Bill Shea State Street Corporation Sports Illustrated The Sporting News - GRAND PATRON -- Barnes & Noble, NU Bookstore Beckwith Elevator The Boston Celtics Camp Dresser & Mckee Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts Bob Costas Costello Contracting Daka Restaurants Filene's Basement Houghton Chemical Corp. Liz Claiborne, Inc. Northeastern University: College of Business Administration Department of Athletics Office of Development Varsity Club Warren Conference Center Pressley Associates Raytheon Company R.M. B radley & Co., Inc. Street & Smith's Sports Group The Stride Rite Foundation HALL OF FAME \| NEW ENGLAND HERO \| EXCELLENCE IN SPORTS JOURNALISM CORPORATE GOODWILL \| AWARDS INDEX	CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SPORT IN SOCIETY AWARDS BANQUET & HALL OF FAME INDUCTION BOSTON, MA -- Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society celebrated its 13th-Annual Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in grand fashion on October 28, 1997 at Boston's Park Plaza Hotel Ballroom. Over 800 people attended the spectacular event which once again showcased Dick Schaap as the Master of Ceremonies. The event posthumously inducted the legendary Jackie Robinson into the Sport in Society Hall of Fame. The honor coincides with the 50th anniversary of Robinson's courageous stand against social injustice and the breaking of Major League Baseball's color barrier. Jackie's wife Rachel Robinson, who has helped continue his dreams through the Jackie Robinson Foundation, graciously accepted the induction. Special presenters were Emily Woolf Philips, the granddaughter of former Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey who pioneered the efforts to bring Jackie Robinson into baseball; Lenny Zakim, Regional Vice President of the Anti-Defamation League; and former MLB National League President Bill White. Previous Hall of Fame Inductees include Wilma Rudolph (1996), Red Auerbach (1995), and Muhammad Ali (1994). The event also featured the presentation of the 1997 Giant Steps Awards. In the "Civic Leader" category, Reggie White, star defensive end for the SuperBowl XXXI Champion Green Bay Packers, was honored for his commitment to his community and working for positive race relations. Sean Jones, former NU football star, and White's fellow SuperBowl XXXI Championship teammate, accepted the award on White's behalf. In the "Coach" Category, Jack Aker proudly accepted his award as a Native American Potowatomi Indian baseball coach of youngsters in remote areas of Arizona and New Mexico. Aker thanked Sport in Society for recognizing his dedication and work from such a long distance away. The fortitudinous Jodi Norton was awarded the "Courageous Female Student-Athlete" Award for her courage and success in battling Lyme's disease and Lupus while remaining competitive as a diver at Columbia University. Norton has used this obstacle as an opportunity to educate other children who suffer from related diseases and have undergone chemotherapy. Lawrence Wright, former University of Florida student-athlete and current Cincinnati Bengals football player, was honored with the "Courageous Male Student-Athlete" Award. Wright founded a weekend summer camp for forty underprivileged youths in his hometown of Miami called "Right Trak" and serves as a positive role model. The 1997 Excellence in Sports Journalism Awards winners were presented to: ESPN's "Outside the Lines: Breaking the Line -- Jackie Robinson's Legacy" ESPN's "Town Meeting: Sports in Black and White" The Sporting News WCVB TV5's "High Five" with Mike Lynch A special presentation of a cake commemorating the Centennial of Northeastern University was made to NU President Richard Freeland, his wife Elsa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees George Matthews, and his wife Kathy. The Corporate Goodwill Award was resented to Reebok International Ltd. Reebok is the presenting event sponsor of all National STUDENT-Athlete Day (NSAD)activities natiowide. NSAD is celebrated annually on April 6. Sport in Society Director Richard Lapchick provided inspirational remarks to the audience at the outset of the event, which set the tone for a truly special evening.
	Northeastern University's CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SPORT IN SOCIETY 360 Huntington Avenue, Suite 161 CP Boston, MA 02115-5000 Phone: (617) 373-4025 Fax: (617) 373-4566 / 2092 E-MAIL US at [email protected]
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