WICHITA — George Sweatt, a Humboldt native who later made his mark as one of the state’s most decorated baseball players of all time, will be inducted Sunday into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Sweatt was born in 1893 in Humboldt, and eventually became the first African-American to letter in any sport at Pittsburg State University from 1919 to 1922.
He lettered in football, basketball and track and field.
Yet, Sweatt is one of Kansas’ greatest baseball players of all-time. He played with the Kansas City Monarchs and Chicago American Giants for a total of seven professional seasons. He owns the distinction of playing in the first four Negro Leagues World Series, winning three championships.
He also taught at Coffeyville Junior College.
After retiring from the Negro Leagues in 1928, Sweatt worked for the U.S. Postal Service until 1957.
In 1983, the same year he died at 89 in Los Angeles, Humboldt dedicated George A. Sweatt Park in his memory.
Sunday’s 6 p.m. ceremony follows dinner at 5:30 at Wichita’s Crown Uptown Theatre. Tickets cost $100 apiece. Those who attend will be granted voting privileges in deciding next year’s lcass.
Others to be inducted are Steve Anson, Bill Bridges, Bob Davis, Tamecka Dixon, Bill Dotson, Scott Huffman, Jerry Kill, Deandra Doubrava McBride, Jaime Mendez III, Lafayette Norwood and Austra Skujyte.
To order a ticket, go to kshof.org.
