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Branch Rickey will forever be remembered as the executive who signed Jackie Robinson to break baseball’s color barrier. Rickey was also an innovative figure who is the father of the modern-day minor league farm system.

As GM of the Dodgers, Rickey originally signed one of the sport’s first Hispanic superstar, Roberto Clemente.

In the collection is this letter dated May 22, 1947 – one month after Robinson’s April 18th debut of the same year. Rickey thanks fellow Dodger owner Walter O’Malley for a television set.

Intertwined in baseball history for their partnership in integrating baseball, Robinson and Rickey maintained a lifelong friendship.

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Commissioner Happy Chandler suspended Dodger manager Leo Durocher for the entire 1947 season just days before it began. Brooklyn GM Branch Rickey scrambled to find a replacement. With Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, Rickey had to be sure of his choice.

He called Burt Shotton who Rickey managed as skipper of the St. Louis Browns from 1913-1915. Before Shotton took the reigns  Clyde Sukeforth managed the first two games.

In this letter Sukeforth recalls Rickey positively.

“I remember Branch Rickey as the most brilliant man I have ever known. Baseball is fortunate that he chose it for his life work. His contributions to the development and refinement of the game are endless as you no doubt know.”

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Personal checks are an outstanding way to obtain an authentic autograph. Here Jackie Robinson writes a check on January 29, 1964. The check is make out to Chock Full O’ Nuts, a company that focused on hiring minority employees. In fact, almost three-quarters of the work force was black.

Robinson served as Vice President and Director of Personnel of the company starting in 1957, the year after he retired from baseball. In his role Jackie focused on issues of employee absenteeism and quick turnover. He served as a role model, and attempted to improve employee satisfaction.

Less than month after Robinson wrote this check he resigned his position at Chock Full O’ Nuts to work with New York governor Nelson Rockefeller in the Civil Rights struggle.