Guest Visitor Dr. Rodenberg Presents on Desegregation of Baseball

In early December, Dr. Terry Rodenberg presented on “The Segregation and Desegregation of Baseball: The steps leading to Jackie Robinson” at the Graceland University Newcom Student Union. Terry Rodenberg retired from Western Illinois University in 2010, where he served as a Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for International Studies for three years. He has made presentations in several countries and his most recent topics have focused upon internationalization, globalization, global educational issues, and baseball history. “Athletics is one of the most diverse programs at Graceland and an event such as this clearly shows its commitment to Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI). The presentation was made possible by Graceland’s Department of Athletics with the support of students from the Sport Management Program,” said Dr. Peter Viscusi, vice president of academic affairs at Graceland University.  

 Rodenberg’s interest in presenting on the segregation and desegregation of baseball has allowed him to combine the historical and sociological with his lifelong love of sports. During Rodenberg’s presentation at Graceland, the room was full of students and student athletes including Trevor Yorges, a freshman on the men’s baseball team. After the presentation, Yorges said, “I thought it was interesting to learn about baseball history. Being on the baseball team here, we’ve got lots of players from different backgrounds and countries, and I believe it’s a good thing the university did this. I think we should continue to have events like this even outside of sports and educate ourselves on how we got to where we are today.”  

 Graceland University is thankful for Dr. Rodenberg for taking the time to speak with our community, if you would like to learn more visit Graceland athletics or the Sport Management Program page.