Charles Luther Sifford (1922 - 2015)

Born 2 Jun 1922 in Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Died 3 Feb 2015 at age 92 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States

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Biography

Charles Sifford is Notable.

Charles Sifford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Charles Sifford is a Military Veteran.
Served in the U.S. Army, World War II

Charlie Sifford was the first African-American to qualify and play on the PGA Tour, which excluded African-Americans until 1961. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.

Charles Luther Sifford was born in 1922 in Charlotte, North Carolina^[1][2] to Pasco Sifford and Eliza Dawkins. In 1940 he was living with his parents and five of his siblings in Charlotte, where his father had employment with the government as a furnace foreman.

Charlie enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and served from October 1944 to March 1946 with a rank of Private First Class (PFC). After his service he returned to Philadelphia.^[2][3]

He turned pro in 1948. At the time the PGA Tour had a "Caucasian only" clause that prevented him from competing, but he won six National Negro Open titles, including five straight from 1952 through 1956. He first tried to qualify for a PGA Tour event in 1952, and endured threats to his well-being. In 1957, he won the Long Beach Open against a field that included prominent, white PGA golfers. ^[4] The PGA Tour finally dropped the "Caucasian-only" clause in 1961,^[5] and Charlie qualified for the tour that year at the age of 38, becoming the first African-American to do so.^[6][7] He won PGA events in 1967 and 1969 and also won Senior PGA Tour events.

Even after being admitted on the Tour, he faced racial battles throughout his career and received many physical threats and insults. Often he was not allowed to stay in hotels or eat meals in the clubhouses with other players. ^[5] He authored an autobiography in 1992 titled "Just Let Me Play" that describes some of the harassment he received.^[8] Many African-American golfers that have followed in his footsteps have credited him with paving a way for their accomplishments.

In 2004, Charlie Sifford became the first black player to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla. He was cited in the lifetime achievement category, recognizing contributions beyond total victories.^[9]

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, in 2014 from President Obama.^[7]

Family and Personal Life

Charlie married Rose Crumbley, a Pennsylvania native, in Wilmington, Delaware in 1952.^[10]

Charlie's wife, Rose, died in 1998. They had two sons.

Charlie passed away in 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio.^[11] He was buried in the Moore's Sanctuary AME Zion Cemetery in Charlotte, North Carolina.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ * Birth: "North Carolina, U.S., Birth Indexes, 1800-2000"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8783 #4704055 (accessed 27 March 2022)
   Charles Luther Sifford born in 1922.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} * Military Service: "Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 3147 #1633688 (accessed 27 March 2022)
   Name: Charles L. Sifford; Birth Date: 2 Jun 1922; Birth Place: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Residence Date: 13 Mar 1950; Residence Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Find A Grave: Memorial #142185686 Moore's Sanctuary AME Zion Cemetery, Charlotte, North Carolina
4. ↑ "Champion," The California Eagle, 7 Nov 1957. Newspapers Clip: 143845343.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Charlie Sifford: A Hard Road to Glory", by Rhonda Glenn, 6 Feb 2012. Online Copy
6. ↑ PGA Tour Timeline of African-American Accomplishments
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "Charlie Sifford, Who Broke PGA's Color Barrier, Gets Presidential Honor", by Jonathan Crowl, 11/26/2014, Online Copy
8. ↑ Sifford, Charlie, et al. Just Let Me Play: The Story of Charlie Sifford, the First Black PGA Golfer. United States, British American Pub., 1992.
9. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/sports/golf/charlie-sifford-first-black-player-on-pga-tour-dies-at-92.html
10. ↑ * Marriage: "Delaware, U.S., Marriage Records, 1750-1954"
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61368 #108110 (accessed 27 March 2022)
    Charles Sifford (29) marriage to Rose Crumbley on 15 Oct 1952 in Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, USA. Father: Roscal Sifford, mother: Elize Dokins, first marriage, occupation: Golf Player,
11. ↑ * Death: "Ohio, U.S., Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018"
    Ohio Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit; Columbus, Ohio; Index to Annual Deaths, 1958-2018
    Ancestry Record 5763 #8953690 (accessed 27 March 2022)
    Charles L Sifford Sr death 3 Feb 2015 (age 92) in Ohio, USA. bp North Carolina, b. 2 Jun 1922, occupation: Professional Golfer

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Sifford

• Military: "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947"
  The National Archives at Atlanta; Atlanta, Georgia; WWII Draft Registration Cards for North Carolina, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 333
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2238 #638762 (accessed 27 March 2022)
  Name: Charles Luther Sifford; Gender: Male; Race: Negro (Black); Age: 20; Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head); Birth Date: 2 Jun 1922; Birth Place: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Residence Place: Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA; Registration Date: 30 Jun 1942; Registration Place: Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA;
  Household Members Age Relationship:
  Charles Luther Sifford 20 Self (Head)
  Eliza Sifford Self (Head).

See also:

• Wikidata: Item Q4355695, en:Wikipedia