Letter from Jackie Robinson to President Eisenhower

View the full document here: https://docsteach.org/document/robinson-eisenhower/

Description

Jackie Robinson’s entry into Major League Baseball ended 60 years of racial segregation in that sport. Off the baseball field, Robinson campaigned tirelessly for civil rights for Black Americans.

In this letter to President Eisenhower, Robinson, then vice president of personnel at Chock Full O’Nuts, criticized comments Eisenhower made urging Black people to have patience in their struggle for equality. Robinson urged Eisenhower to make a statement backed up with action to show his support for Black Americans.

This document is included in “Baseball: The National Pastime in the National Archives,” a free eBook from the National Archives.

Citation

This primary source comes from the Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration).

National Archives Identifier: 186627

Full Citation: Letter from Jackie Robinson to President Eisenhower; 5/13/1958; Negro Matters – Colored Question (6); Official Files, 1953 – 1961; Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration),; Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, KS. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/robinson-eisenhower/, April 1, 2026]

Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.