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Interview Transcript, Henry Revell Interview, August 1, 2010

Novak Digital Interview Collection: Experiences of the Civil Rights Movement

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT—HENRY REVELL Interviewee: Henry Revell DOB: April 13, 1932 POB: about three miles north east of Selma, North Carolina Interviewer: Noah Purcell Interview Date: August 1, 2010 Location: Home of Henry Revell Interview No.: 08.01.10-HR (audio digital file) (Approximate total length in minutes: 42 minutes) Transcription by Ge’Vonda Baker/Dena Scher

Summary: Henry Revell began playing with his family at age 9 and loved it "more than food to eat." He learned how to from his father, and used to play three during his lunch break from farm work. During his four years of high school, the only person to a home off of one of his pitches was George Altman, who became the first black player for the Cubs. Mr. Revell hadn't seriously considered attending college, but after a day-long try- with a North Carolina A & T coach, he was awarded a baseball scholarship to A & T, where he majored in agriculture. He entered the service after graduation and played ball there as well, doing his best to focus on his technique while facing discrimination as the team's only black player. He says, "It’s just been a beautiful experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything."

Subjects: African American men -- Biography African American men -- Case studies Baseball players Negro leagues – History

TRANSCRIPT Note: Counter index corresponds to track times when loaded into iTunes 0:00 NP: Interviewer is Noah Purcell. The Interviewee is Henry Revell. The date is August 1, 2010. The place is Mr. Revell’s home in Greensboro, North Carolina. We’ve reviewed the purpose of the interview. And the consent forms have been signed. Mr. Revell, have you agreed to this interview. HR: Oh, yes I have. NP: Ok, thank you very much HR Let me apologize for being a little late NP: Oh not, not HR: Had church, we served communion at my church today, I’m one of the deacons there, though I had a meeting that we didn’t know about (laughter) NP: Not a worry, not a worry. NP: Why don’t we. Why don’t we start, I think the best way to introduce baseball. How did you come to the game?

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HR: Well, believe it or not, I come from a family who played baseball in the country. Bout nine years old age I was playing baseball. So I’ll been in baseball, I played baseball about 40 years. And I stayed very busy. Loved it, more than food to eat. We used to work on the farm and at lunch time we’d play three innings of baseball during the lunch hour. So, I was sort of embedded in the baseball program itself. My father was a . My uncle was a catcher and he went to Ferris State as a baseball player. Matter a fact he was trying to go pro. It’s been so long I don’t even remember who he was going with. He used to and used to hit my father in the head and knock his cap off and throw the man out at second base, that’s what I was told. I never saw him throw as a catcher but I saw him play. Ah, but I learned how to pitch from my father and a lot of people don’t believe it but. And I didn’t believe until I saw that man that did it. He was playing a team in the adjoining county of where we lived in Johnston County North Carolina. Which is the town, the township is Smithfield, Smithfield North Carolina that’s the county city.

HR: But, we lived about 30 miles north east of Selma and huh on a old country right now it’s called the Revells road because I guess you might say ten fifteen years ago the rural roads had big numbers but what they did in terms of changing the roads numbers they went to names of people that lived on the roads the longest. So the road we live on right now down there the home place is really the Revells Road. And we’re a part of the highway program down there.

HR: But, in spite of all this my baseball experience started right there on that farm. Ah, we had a team called the North Selma Black Sox And we played out there in the county and we use to have people lined up from the highway all the way up there, at that time it was a dirt road playing baseball. And, I remember paying as a pitcher. I played in every position except first base in my life time. And ah. But my real suit was pitching. After college I did more catching then I did in high school. But in high school I only had one person hit a on me my four years in baseball and that was George Altman I don’t know if you heard of George Altman or not but George Altman went with the he was the first black to go to the Chicago Cubs. He also played against me at A&T when I came to A&T on a baseball scholarship. I was just talking to a gentleman in my church today that played baseball with me at A&T who ended up becoming the vice chancellor there and after he became the vice chancellor he became the president of South Carolina State. His name is Al Smith. Al Smith played baseball when I came to A&T for my try-outs. I just left the home of the catcher they called ace pitcher against me Blakely was my catcher, was, mmm oh my goodness I just left his house he died they are getting ready to bury him on Wednesday. Bud Matters, was the catcher, the ace catcher at A&T when I came in 51 and ah the Ace pitcher gave up one hit and I gave up one. But, Carl Blakely caught me. He was from Chicago, I got back home they had written a letter for me to come to A&T on a baseball scholarship. But prior to all of that it’s amazing how you get hands to hold and help you on the way. The county agent at my home county was Leroy Johnson and Leroy Johnson was that caption of the

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team at A&T State University. At that time we did have the money for a big university, so at that time the baseball coach and the basketball coach was the same person and his name was Mr. Filley.

5:00 Earl Fred Filley was the basketball and the baseball coach at that time. And he told him about me playing baseball down in Charleston County where he worked as an agriculture expert. And they had what you call the classic basketball program that goes on in the Washington area. I don’t know if they have it now but they had it and that’s how he got a chance to tell the coach about my baseball paying. So, he just send him on up there so we worked out an arrangement to get me up there matter a fact my father even came with me. Matter a fact we played that day and I went on back home the next day. Oh and I pitched I forgot how many innings but I gave up one hit and he gave up one, and the paperwork came the next week or the next two weeks and I had a scholarship to come to A&T. Prior to that I was good enough to play pro so I wasn’t even thinking about going to college. NP: Right. HR: But after getting there I found that I had a lot of things going for me that I had gotten out of high school that some of the other players that I played with did not have. HR: I had people on the baseball team that at that time couldn’t even write a decent sentence. And here I am a high school graduate and can throw asmutabules across the plate at 90 miles a hour, I saw how well off I was compared to some of my team mates so learned to adjust to the baseball season at A&T during that period. NP: What was the season like? What was a normal day during the baseball season like? HR: We went to class but at 2 or 3 o’clock in the afternoon we were in practice or playing. I went out there as a pitcher. I stayed in the pitcher’s role until they found out that I could play other positions. Remember the guy I was telling you about? Georg eAltman he apparently played with North Carolina Central at that time and we were playing them in what we called the CL A conference. HR: George Altman ran into our catcher in a game and knocked his shoulder out of place and that when I started catching and pitching. And that’s when my catching really started at A&T I had caught some in high school. But my cousin he’s not living now was a young man that caught me in high school. I could throw I really enjoyed playing baseball. And I got my stand form . I learned how to hit I meant get hit swinging that bat form Jackie Robinson standing in that batter’s box. I mean I could hit on both sides of the field because of how he stood and his swinging. Also learned later on that a young man by the name of Mitchell who played in the black Negro league down in winter Ahoskey area. He was a logger but he taught me how to hit it out of the park. He says if you can catch it on the play with the big end of the bat it’ll go out and I learned to do that. So! I had a lot of help in my in baseball experience. NP: Yeah

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HR: But after the first year at A&T the state cut the funds for the athletic programs and I was dropped because I didn’t have the funds to stay there, so I had to go to work. HR: And I was very fortune to live with the Taylors out in Irving Park at Greensboro and they found out I played baseball they let me walk back on. In the walking back on I ended up the catching and the playing and pitching. But when leaving A&T with that experience in baseball I got a chance to play with the Negro League here in the Greensboro area. You had the Goshen Red Wings and you also had the Green Spur Red Wings and I played with both of those. Matter of fact I went out there to be a radio announcer for the at that time.

HR: And later on I got a chance to meet Tom Alston. Tom Alston was the first black to go to St. Louis. He was the first base man for the Greensboro Red Wings and I have never seen anyone hit the ball as far as he did in the Greensboro area but he was the first base man a very good first base man. And right now around the house here is where he went to church. You ought to see the grave they have for me on the corner of the Delotto grave right beside the church. Tom Alston was a good ball player, ran with a lot of other good ball players. When I left here to go into the service, beg your pardon when I left here to go to Scotland court for a teacher. And this is where I not only did I play baseball but the gentlemen I played with was the coach from Winston Salem State. His name was Goldy Jones and Goldy Jones was a outstanding athlete 10:00

He shot the last three point in the CL double A championship against North Carolina Sancher to win the tournament conference. But when he went down to Scotland County where he’s really from that area. Scotland which is in Laurenburg, is a city is really Scotland county he was from that area and they were tenant farmers and a outstanding ball player. So we played baseball with the Birmingham Giants there in Hamlet North Carolina and you’re talking about a good ball player. I was catching then I wasn’t doing a lot of pitching. HR: I use to catch and he used to pay second base and a guy would try to steal on us he would meet him down the line. Tag him out. He was about 6’2 or 3 tall didn’t have no problem reaching up and getting the ball. But he passed not at least seven, eight years ago. He used to go deep sea fishing with his friends and for some reason or another all his friends got drowned in a storm. And he never became the person he was after that. So he died 10 years ago a very good friend of mine. And his brother and I came to A&T on a baseball scholarship..his name was John, John Jones. Johnny Jones. HR: Johnny Jones ended up being a principal down at the local city, Gordon county area. And he ended up just officiating just like I did. So I officiated for basketball and baseball for 25 years but we were close, very close because we were roommates my first year Johnny Jones and I. But ah. I said that to say this I have I have been associated with some very good athletes in my life time and I would put Johnny Jones at the top of the list really.

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HR: But I also learned that when I left their teaching and coach teach football, baseball, and basketball with him. You know that had football, baseball, and basketball we didn’t have a gym where we were at that time. I went into the service after working there. And, while in the service I needed up having to go into the TDY 27th the 22nd battalion in the services as the outstanding champion team for the post. Where I was an outstanding, the most valuable player for two years and was the only black on the team. And everybody else on the team was signed to play pro ball except me and you saw, you could see the discrimination. But, I found out that had nothing to do with me learning to play and to associate and participate. HR: It required assertive effort on my part but when I got up to do what I had to do and needed to do as a baseball player not only did I become respected I became a better baseball player. No one stole on me in the service for two years. HR: The only guy that went on me I didn’t pitch was on a three two pitch and I caught a strike and I didn’t even throw it. And nobody in the service stole third base on me ever. I never had to get up and throw em out, that’s how good I thought I was. NP: Right from the knees HR: And it was a good experience. And I learned that a lot of people that play baseball gets some breaks at that time that we just were not getting at that time. Everybody on that team at Fort Louis Washington had a contract to play pro ball. But I learned that if you want to be assertive you got to assert your talent and show your talent. And be seen and be supportive. That’s one thing I learned at Fort Louis. But after leaving the service in NP: What did you think of the first day when you showed up? HR: Well the first day I showed up I don’t think I did anything but sit on the bench. HR: Then I started catching people. You know why you started catching people in and out of the game that kind of stuff, oh when you’re doing a little practicing when you’re catching. And when you do what we call a dry run of a game. Oh, you let them steal on you or attempt to steal on you and they find out that the people they let play pro ball couldn’t do what I was doing even then. And I hit a couple home runs out there at Fort Louis for the first time in that league. And I found out that the same thing that I’d had gotten in the Ahoskie. If you catch it on the plate you can hit it out the park. And ah. Because of the experience and being taught that I had games where I was hitting two home runs in the same game.

15:00 So I was very blessed to have people who had shared some experiences they had that was able to use myself. But after coming out of the service you had a team called the Eagle Lights and the Stars that was owned, part owned by Campanella. You remember Campanella NP: Mmm, Ray, Ray Campanella? HR: Ray Campanella was the first black catcher NP: Right HR: When Don Newcombs was with the Dodgers. He owned that team but he had had the accident he was paralyzed from the waist down.

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HR: And I did a lot of catching and pitching in that league with him, in that team with him. We did exhibition based playing...we moved around across the states. And huh NP: Now when you say moved around what was the schedule like? HR: We played somewhere every weekend because I had gotten out of the services then and was a counselor for juvenile delinquency in the Maryland area, but every Friday we’d hit the road somewhere to play baseball. And ah. we’d get off at midnight on Saturday night, on Friday night and be in New York the next day to play baseball the next day NP: Okay, alright HR: So we did a lot of traveling. Went down to South Carolina NP: What was the atmosphere on the bus when you were traveling? HR: Well we didn’t do a lot of traveling on the bus NP: Oh, Okay HR: People who had cars NP: Oh HR: We had a real good experience with that. On the bus a lot of time you couldn’t eat at certain places ahhh, you had to go in the back of the place to get food to eat. That kind of stuff. But we were able to tolerate it. Then we were able to carry a lot of food ourselves that we ate. It was just an unusual experience but you learned how to adapt. And ah I had a ball really. I learned how to adjust, had a ball and a lot of good friends. I had a young man by the name of Scotty who none of us could beat him out in the pros, to go pro. And I never seen a baseball player that had the experience he had. He could pick up those balls and short stop, like a chicken put up a grain of corn. And he had the ability to take the big end of the bat and it where he wanted to bunt it and beat it out. HR: Beautiful ball player. So I learned a lot from just being associated with people who had going through some of the things we had to go through to even play baseball. And ah traveling all over matter a fact he was in the Washington area with us with the Brooklyn Stars with us. And he played shortstop. Beater, steal on you in a minute and would throw you out. And, would go down in the deep pockets shortstops and throw you out. Good ball player! NP: Yeah HR: But I had a friend in Washington who now is retired form the Library of Congress his name is Henry. Henry what is his last name. But Henry played with . He got cut, came back and was with us in the Black league. In the Negro league there in Washington he played third base. He can run the bases just like a deer. And I mean run straight line up run and he could hit the ball out the park. Hank what is, what is, what is Henry’s last name? Henry, what is Henry’s last name. Anyway his name is Henry we called him Hank. My name is called Hank too cause my first name is also Henry. But ah, that was an experience sho’ nuff. But, prior to that I played with the Baltimore, the Rata Grays. And the Rata Grays traveled a lot in North Carolina. I played in Greenville that where the Indians guy. But ah, what’s his name, I can see him now. But, he hit the longest home run in Greenville, South Carolina down town out the ball park. We had some teams in the Black Negro league that make the majors look sick right now.

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We had people hitting three and four hundred in those leagues. You got very few and the only people you, I can recognize right now that was over four hundred was Terry and Jackie Robinson and you had was doing some of that but you had very few people NP: But not for a while HR: very few people were hitting over four hundred. But we had a lot of people in the Negro league that was hitting four hundred. If you got three hits a game you were batting over three hundred right there. That was nothing for me in baseball. Cause if you put it on a play I’ll hit it and I learned how to get hits if I don’t hit out of the park

20:00 HR: So I had a rich experience, my experience with that gave me the opportunity to really appreciate the sport itself. And as I said before my father started it and he taught me how to pitch but my pitching from him was a slow pitch. And I was telling you when I went to Goldsboro coming from Washington back to North Carolina I ran into a gentleman because played with the Sanford Hawks in the Goldsboro area. And there was a gentleman out there in a little town called Eureka and they had a team out there. And I met him and he was telling me I knew your father and he showed, throwed me a pitch so show, so slow I swung at it twice. I swung at him and I got a chance to see him. And I said, I had heard that but I didn’t believe it but he told me himself. So we’ve had a lot of good experiences that have taken place in that baseball program with me. Huh let me see what else can I share with you. NP: What kind of pitcher where you, what kind of player what kind of pitcher? HR: Well I learned how to throw the ball under hand also. You see a little of that in the majors now. NP: Sure HR: But I learned how to throw the ball underhand. But my fast pitch was an over hand fast ball. And it normally would sort of flutter at the plate, at the area and I had a curve ball but my curve ball was much faster than my father’s. Because my curve ball could hit inside, inside the corner of the plate and the catcher would have to go way over here to catch it, that’s how big the curve was. And I learned from the speed I had in the curve ball it hit the plate and go that far away from the corner and would still get a strike on it. So I learned how to hit the corners and the inside plate with strikes and I could do that very well with the fast baseball as well, the curve ball. I threw very few . I didn’t have for some reason I couldn’t get the grip on the knuckle, that most ball players who pitched that threw the knuckle ball. I had some problems with that. So I didn’t throw the knuckle ball that much but the fast ball, the curve ball I’d usually have something like a that run into you. I had my fast ball I would sling it that way it would come and hit the corner. HR: I had basic three pitches, curve ball, fast ball NP: How would you go after hitters, what, what would you?

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HR: I knew he was a good hitter, let’s say he was a cleanup man, a cleanup man could normally hit the ball out the park. I might frighten him on a pitch, I might throw at him. And usually when I throw at you I’m throwing a fast ball and it frightens you a little bit unless you were an outstanding ball player and just didn’t give a darn. NP: Right HR: If I would pitch it to them and I would that to shake them up a bit but if I sake you up I would get two pitches you would never hit the ball out on me, you never hit ball out the park on me. You hit it fly up or hit it on the ground

HR: because when I’m coming with my curve ball. And the curve ball is going to be breaking between here and your knee. And some time it breaks at the knee. So you either want to hit it on the ground or pop it up. HR: But, lovin’ of the game. I got a chance to go to a game Friday night for the first time and it’s called the Metropolitan League of Baseball Players. And it’s sort of new it hasn’t been out there about three or four years at the most. But the gentlemen that was there that played and coached that team. We had a conference at the Board of Education to name the baseball after him. His name is Raymond Crawford. Raymond Crawford went to A&T and played baseball. He coached baseball in the city here in Greensboro. And because of the lack of funds the baseball grounds at Dudley High School had become so bad he had to take the ball players other places to play and to practice, that’s the kind of investment he put in the team. And we had a petition to name the after him. After he had renovated and got all that stuff done. Traveled in the buses with the kids to play, and all that kind of stuff. So we petitioned the Board of Education to name the baseball stadium after him. So that baseball stadium at Dudley High School is named after Raymond Crawford. And it took a little time to do it because after his name surfaced there were other names that wanted to be put in the hat. But he had enough followers and supporters for that baseball team, baseball park to be named after him. 25:03 HR: And you ought see it. It looks like a little World ball park. And I got a chance to see him coaching this past Friday night. He had boys hitting the ball out of the park in high school, bunting and all that kind of stuff. And I hadn’t seen that in 20 years being a ball player. Because other them swinging it and the home run kind of playing and hitting...but he had ball players that could hit that ball for hits and could also drag a bunt, that kind of stuff. I hadn’t seen that, I hadn’t seen that in the Major Leagues. NP: You don’t see bunting HR: But you know what, we found out when I played baseball. If you had a boy like Joe Black and Don Newton who could almost hit 100 miles a hour. The only way you are going to beat them is to bunt. If you get him tired coming off of that play hitting bunts he is eventually going to make them all fat so he can put the big end of the bat on it. That’s when I learned that bunting itself will either make you win of lose depending on what that pitcher is doing to you, what he’s throwing at you. If you can get him off that mound to come get it, he is soon going to get tired.

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And I found out that bunting can be a real advantage to a ball player. If you can play the bunt you can play baseball anywhere. It just one of those fundamental thing you need to be able to do. When I look at the majors now I don’t see many bunts and the baseball is not what it used to be. NP: Just thinking about it, who’s the best bunter in the League these days? HR: Right now I don’t know who’s the best bunter in the League right now NP: That’s the problem. HR: Marrie Wells. Do you remember Marrie Wells? Marrie Wells was the guy that led in stealing bases until his record was broken not long ago. His brother and my brother who was accepted in the Negro Hall of Fame three years ago coached at Buie State in Maryland. He could steal a base on you in a minute. He could look at you looking at him and still steal a base on you. He, He is probably the fastest runner I ever seen really. But I found out also some of the ball players that I saw in the ball game the other night they’re stealing base like Merry Wells too. And I mean be way down there with the catcher that far behind on throwing the ball. And don’t let them miss, they don’t need to in they just go right in and turn it to go to third. But baseball has made my life a beautiful one but just haven’t benefitted financially from it. But it’s been a experience that I’ll never forget. NP: Going back to your time in the Negro Leagues what, what, what was the equipment like? HR: Well the equipment was, you had second hand stuff or you were able to get things at very reduced rate, cost. And I spoke to the master program for Deltas Wednesday and my wife’s is a supper teacher, she’s a Delta and she provides free lesson for those men, boys in the program for about three or four days out the week every year. And I was asked to share my Negro experiences there but over there I get a chance to actually do some teaching. Because I teach them how to bunt. If you’re going to play baseball and some of them actually like baseball. But you don’t see to many of us playing baseball now. We’re so gun-ho playing football, basketball and we’re getting in a little soccer now that we’ve forgotten the real sport that Americans really loved. And what everybody really appreciated and really went to. So, I did a little bunting right there in my yard Wednesday with them. And ah, for some reason or another I was told later on the next day that Revell taught them how to bunt. I didn’t know how to bunt before then, but we do that every year and I have to thank my wife because she is what you call a super teacher. She’s been teacher of the year at least twice here in North Carolina before retiring. And one thing she can’t get rid of is teaching. So the enrichment center next door has been used to help those kids with learning disabilities, and having hard problems with math and English and that kind of stuff. And she spends some time doing that and she sort of invites me over there when she has the masters program so they can learn about baseball. It’s a rich experience and ah, I will never forget it. If it had not have been for baseball I wouldn’t have gone to college. So its created a livelihood here for me and my family. And it hadn’t been bad at all. 30:17 NP: What where the crowds like?

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HR: Oh, the crowds. Let me see, in the Negro league you had probably sometime more whites then you had blacks there. You had a stadium full they lined up all outside the gates of the ball park, those kind of things. In particular I played against Joe Black after he was sorta retired from baseball in New Jersey. So in that stadium with the Negro league playing in that area, that stadium was full, full of people. So in some places you had a lot of turn out. And in other places it was sorta mediocre, but is some of those places if they knew you were coming people would find a way to get to those games. So you had a ball. And in some of these local places, you playing baseball you had a good turn out anyway. A lot of the time they may have been all black but in some of these other places like New Jersey, and northern New York you had just about the same whites as you had black because you didn’t see what we were doing in baseball. I’ve seen people hit the ball and catch it in outfield and throw the guy out at home plate from left field or center field, you know what I’m saying man.. NP: Yeah HR: See, those things you don’t see now. Ain’t no such thing as you throwing a man out at third base if you caught it in the outfield. When I was A&T if I was playing center field and you tried to come from third base and, and I caught it running to it, the ball never stopped it came out of my hand going right on to that catcher. And what I would always do, and I was taught this, if you throw the ball, on the right hand side of the over his shoulder, it would bounce right across the plate. I learned how to do that from center field. You don’t see much of that now. I don’t know if you know Monte Irvin, Kale Irvin was his brother here at A&T. I’ve seen Monte Irvin, catch at center field and throw you out at home plate. You don’t have that no more.

HR: And the key to throwing a man out from the outfield to home plate is when you catch the ball, you catch the it on your way throwing all the time and it gives you the speed. If that ball hits the playing area before it gets to the plate it sorta of speeds up and a lot of people don’t understand that yet. That’s one thing I saw in the ball playing field the other night. They’re throwing the ball long but if you learn how to throw it with your shoulder and bounce prior to the where its suppose to go, it moves much faster that way. But if you use that arm to throw it all the way I’m going to run around it and run through it if you’re not careful. But if you put that speed on it you can always get a little more faster movement with the ball with that and I leaned to do that as an . But now the guy I was telling you about that could bunt the ball at the end of the bat. I seen him do it in deep short stop. Throw it and it bounced right across the plate. He learned how to do that too and that’s another thing that I learned. Is where, it doesn’t make any difference what the distance is if you don’t have the arm. If you can throw it with a bounce where you want it to go, most of the time the player receiving the ball is standing there waiting for the player running. Yeah, a lot of fundamentals can be taught that are not being taught now in baseball.

34:00

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NP: One thing that stands out when you talk about fundamentals or your path to A&T is the camaraderie, did just? HR: You know what when I was at A&T we had a championship CL double A team in baseball every year for four years. NP: Mmm HR: Yep, every year for four years. NP: Yeah. HR: And we were known for having and outstanding team at A&T. And that’s another reason why I really wanted to go to A&T and then too the county agent in my home county had worked with me in the boys club program and we had won a few activities there and just a good person. Very good person, very helpful person too. Ah, that’s the reason I came to A&T and I enjoyed every moment of it. But I enjoyed it in the service because after we deactivated the twenty-ninth field artillery I went back to the twenty-second field artillery. And I went TDY (temporary duty) and when I went to TDY that’s all I did was play baseball. I worked in the recreation area to submit equipment to the army personnel who wanted to play maybe basketball on the floor or some other things around there. And I was able to get a job after four o’clock in the bowling alley so I made myself a little money. If they had promoted me in the service I would have stayed for twenty years, but my first commanding officer didn’t see my promotion request until that next year. I had to hand carry my copy to him so I had to leave that’s why I got out. If I had had my promotion, I would have been there my twenty years. I was talking to a friend at the Dudley alumni conference last week, met him in the mall, guy is 51 years of age. He had retired from the military at 51 and was teaching down in the adjoining county to where I worked before coming to A&T. And he, he was up here for an athletic conference at A&T State University so we talked and he was saying that baseball is still strong in the Jones County area. But that was uh, said a lot about baseball

36:25 NP: With the players who went from the Negro leagues to the majors leagues and then would come back, what kind or experience would they relate? HR: Well you know Hank Aaron was in the Negro Leagues NP: Mmhuh HR: He’s the one that broke NP: Babe Ruth’s HR: Babe Ruth’s record. Ah Don Newcomb, Campanella. Campanella, came back and set up a team called the Baltimore A’s and Brooklyn. So, they brought things back to maintain some type of connection to what baseball is and what it ought to be. Joe Black went back to New Jersey, he was out there playing and helping Little League play baseball. Ah, right now I can’t name any others that I know that specifically did something. Now you take, Hank the guy I was telling you. Hank, in the Washington area that I told you retired from the Library of Congress. He ended up getting his Ph.D. when he came out of the service. He now runs a youth center and every kid that graduates from his center has a full scholarship to go to somewhere. So those are some things that he has given back. And we

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communicate every now and then but I have called him lately. But Hank and I played in that league with that team in Baltimore and Brooklyn Salts that Camp was half owner of and he’s been always a giver with kids. And every now and then I get his newsletter every year of what has happened this year, I usually make a contribution to his program. But I know he’s, he’s given back. Ah let me see who else. You take my brother whose past, he was tapped in the Negro Hall of Fame four years ago. He died the year before last. He used to pitch every Sunday in the Washington area in 22 Baseball League conference.

HR: And my brother who has moved back to the farm in Johnson County is named Bobby. Bobby helped to set the 26 teams up and he coached and by brother used to pitch for him every Sunday. Until he got mad and quit him. He took him out once and they had a little conflict but other than that he’s an outstanding ball player too and a good baseball manager. He had college kids and people that had went to the majors and got cut playing on those teams in the Washington area. And ah, you talking about winning, his championship team, just about every year and he was in research over there at Walter Reed Hospital. On weekends that’s what he was doing. But ah, he was up here earlier for the Dudley Alumni Association as our guest for the weekend before last. And ah, it was a pledge for him and his wife. He hadn’t been here with us, my wife been doing this now five year, she got one more year. Her four years will be up and they promised to come so they enjoyed it but. And baseball’s been his life, when I say his life, he retired after 36 years at Walter Reed Hospital and all the while he was in Washington playing baseball or coaching one or the other. Very good person, one of the best brothers I have right now living.

HR: We talk just about every day, every week at least. But ah giving back to the community and baseball, ah I’m trying to think. I don’t know what happened to George Altman. George Altman was from Goldsboro and I have never seen him since he left to go to Chicago to play baseball, unless he ended up out there in that area, doing something. I’m sure that some of them had come back, started little leagues or coached little leagues and those kind of things. Teach fundamentals that a lot of ball players don’t get even now in little league training. It’s an opportunity, and this new thing I was telling you I saw the night before last at the stadium here in Greensboro. Is called the Metropolitan baseball conference or something. They had the play offs here in Greensboro and matter of fact some of it may be going on right now. NP: Huh HR: But ah, they got rained out I think last night, I was going to go back yesterday but it rained most of the day so I didn’t go back out there. But that’s a new trend that has started to sort of, not only to reacquaint people but to get young men back in to the baseball arena. And I’m so proud of that, you’d be surprised. My wife was telling me the night before last, I have never seen you as happy as I have been that what she saw in me the other night at the baseball game. And that game we went to didn’t start until about night o’clock so we didn’t get home until about one. So you know I enjoyed myself, but that’s basically my baseball history really.

12 Interview Transcript, Henry Revell Interview, August 1, 2010

Baseball history, I wouldn’t change a bit of it. I would have liked to play pro but ah, other than that I’ve had probably as much enjoyment out of baseball as those who are playing in the majors right now if not more. It’s just been a beautiful experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. NP: I’m sure, All right, Thank you. HR: You’re welcome NP: All right 42:05 end

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