Norton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
First Integrated Little League Baseball Teams in Virginia
1951
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 18, 2023
1. First Integrated Little League Baseball Teams in Virginia Marker
Just south of this sign was the baseball field of the 1951 Norton Little League teams. Under the progressive leadership of Dr. Charles Litton, league president, and team managers Jack Hatcher, Eugene Mullins, Ralph Bradley, and Reid Simmons, the first Little League baseball teams in Western Virginia were organized and open to all young boys, regardless of the color of their skin. Thus, each of the four teams in the league included an African-American. The All-Star Team, chosen at the end of the season, included two African-Americans. Initially the team was barred from the playoffs if it remained integrated. The leadership of Norton Little League held firm and refused to remove the African-American All Stars from the team. Finally, a compromise was reached. The integrated team played at the Norton Municipal stadium and won the Virginia State Championship by defeating Charlottesville, the Eastern Division Champions. 12-3 on August 4, 1951.
Erected 2022 by City of Norton, Virginia.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is August 4, 1951.
Location. 36° 55.927′ N, 82° 38.029′ W. Marker is in Norton, Virginia. It is at the intersection
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Norton (approx. Ό mile away); Armed Forces Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Resolution Declaring a Sasquatch / Bigfoot Sanctuary (approx. 0.9 miles away); Norton / Coeburn (approx. 1½ miles away); Benges Gap (approx. 2.4 miles away); Napoleon Hill (approx. 3.7 miles away); E.M. Fulton House (approx. 4.3 miles away); Gladeville in the Civil War (approx. 4.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Norton.
Also see . . . 1951 Norton Little League Teams. City of Norton, Virginia website entry:
Photos and news articles about the teams, as well as firsthand accounts from some of the players. (Submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 18, 2023
2. First Integrated Little League Baseball Teams in Virginia Marker
via Cardinal News, 1951
3. The Norton All-Star team in 1951 gets ready to fly off to the regionals.
On June 4, 1951, a bunch of little boys in Norton, Virginia, did an extraordinary thing. They played baseball.
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 248 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on July 20, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.
