Josh Gibson Foundation Black Tie Gala

Monday, July 16, 2007

Rebecca Droke, Post-Gazette
From left, Buck Leonard's stepdaughter, Rose Hunter; his wife, Lugenia Leonard; and Pamela Paige O'Neal, daughter of Satchel Paige.

By Marylynn Uricchio, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette History not only adorned the walls of the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center on Saturday night -- it walked and spoke in the guise of a number of former Negro League players who were honored at the Josh Gibson Foundation's 2007 Negro League Remembering the History Black Tie Gala.

Keynote speaker Monte Irvin was an endless fount of stories about the foundation's namesake, the legendary Josh Gibson, with whom he played. Mr. Gibson's great-grandson, Sean L. Gibson, is executive director of the foundation, which provides educational and recreational opportunities for youth. The organization also awarded scholarships that evening to Morgan Nicole Lee, a 2007 graduate of Penn Hills High School, and Rosanna Breaux of North Allegheny Senior High School.


	Rebecca Droke, Post-Gazette John "Mule" Miles, left, Wallace "Bucky" Williams, seated, and Ted Toles. Click photo for larger image.

WPXI anchor Vince Sims served as master of ceremonies. The event was co-chaired by Chauncey Smith of H.J. Heinz Co. and his wife, Bernice, and former Pittsburgh Steeler Dwight White and his wife, Karen.

Former Negro League players honored included John "Mule" Miles, Wallace "Bucky" Williams, Ted Toles, the late "Buck" Leonard, whose wife, Lugenia, and stepdaughter, Rose Hunter, attended the gala, and the late Satchel Paige, whose daughter, Pamela Paige O'Neal, was on hand to represent him.

Among the other 250 or so attendees were Gibson family members Lillian Bailey, Marjorie Gibson and Gertrude Gibson, along with Dr. Margaret Larkins Pettigrew, Jerry Lopes, Tene Croom of Sheridan Broadcasting, Patrick O'Leary of Fisher Scientific, Jonas Chaney and Mark Barash of WPXI, Kweilyn Murphy of WQED, Gibson Foundation vice president Jason Wells and foundation board member Angel Natal of St. Petersburg, Fla., Curtis Randle El, brother of former Steeler Antwon Randle El, Neal Barclay, executive director of the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, the Rev. Glenn Grayson of the Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church and NAACP board member Chase Patterson.