Lot # 2175: 1945 J. L. Wilkinson Signed Document - Beckett

One-page document, dated December 1945, signed by J. L. Wilkinson in blue ink along the base. The signature of J. L. Wilkinson is one of the rarest Negro League Hall of Fame signatures imaginable. Wilkinson, who died in 1964, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006. This is only the third Wilkinson signature example REA has ever offered. Wilkinson was one of the key figures in the early success of the Negro Leagues. In addition to being the founder and owner of the Kansas City Monarchs, one of the greatest teams in the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues, he was a pioneer in the use of lighting in baseball and can also truly be given credit for giving Jackie Robinson his professional start in the game. Few executives have ever had a greater impact on the game in general, and the Negro Leagues in particular. The document (8.5 x 11 inches) has two horizontal folds, light creasing, a chipped upper left corner, and a staple hole at the top. In Fair condition overall. Full LOA from Steve Grad and Brian Sobrero/Beckett Authentication Services.