
Died at 95
male
James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. He was described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances on stage and screen, and "one of the greatest actors in American history". Over his career, he received three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985. He was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009 and the Honorary Academy Award in 2011. His deep voice has been praised as a "stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas" to his projects.

James Earl Jones

Samuel R. Scottron
for Samuel R. Scottron in The Smart Set Athletic Club
Suggested by jakubduda

The Smart Set Athletic Club was an athletic club based in Brooklyn, NY. The club organized the first African-American basketball team, one of the most successful teams in the Black Fives Era. The Smart Set featured a talented lineup that included Hudson “Huddy” Oliver, who later played for the championship Washington 12th Streeters and then became a prominent surgeon, Charles Scottron, a grandson of famous African American inventor Samuel Scottron who later played for the New York All Stars, Ferdinand Accooe, who also later played for the All Stars, and Edwin “Teddy” Horne, later the father of world-famous entertainer Lena Horne. Sports promoter J. Hoffman Woods was the club’s president and general manager, and George W. Lattimore was assistant manager. The group’s mentor was the Black inventor and businessman Samuel Scottron, the patent holder for many now-common items like the curtain rod, and the patriarch of one of the first African American families in Brooklyn. This team is a great example of how a small group of people came together as pioneers to create a new reality in the face of adversity and obstacles, despite having no road map and no guidelines other than their unyielding passion and commitment toward creating camaraderie and inspiring. They also had a definite plan to go with their purpose, which allowed their sizable financial success that in turn enabled the Smart Set Athletic Club to make a significant difference in their community.