Integration Before Integration: How World War II Exploded Diversity in Baseball

Although Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League Baseball in April 1947, he was not the first nonwhite person to play the sport. Latinos and Native Americans preceded Robinson, and some even before the 20th century. The opportunity to play particularly opened up in World War II, when legends like Bob Feller, Hank Greenberg, and Stan Musial left at the peaks of their careers to serve overseas. Players like 15-year old Joe Nuxhall, one-armed outfielder Pete Gray, and a number of Latinos and Native Americans debuted at this time. Thirteen out of sixteen Major League teams had a non-American born Latino on their roster during World War II. Adrian Burgos, professor of history at University of Illinois, highlights 57 Latinos who played before Robinson, and more than a third of whom played from 1941-1945. The gap created by white players serving overseas led to opportunity. As a continuation of research on Native American baseball players conducted at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, I look at statistics, roster transactions, and periodicals to highlight four Native American players and four Latinos. Their movement into the Major Leagues was directly linked to the crisis precipitated by World War II. Though many had short professional careers, they were trailblazers and exemplars for future foreign and nonwhite players. After World War II, owners and general managers were not as reluctant to sign foreign nonwhite players. This put American baseball on the path to becoming the world’s most diverse professional sport

Variation among and within S1 progenies of maize

Maize (Zea mays L.) breeders emphasize selection within F[subscript]2 populations of elite line crosses that have different levels of genetic relationship. Two maize F[subscript]2 populations, one of a cross of unrelated lines (B73 x Mo17) and one of a cross of related lines (B73 x B84), were used to derive two groups of unselected S[subscript]2 lines. Two S[subscript]2 lines per S[subscript]1 family were evaluated for 86 S[subscript]1 families of the unrelated line cross (172 S[subscript]2 lines) and 80 S[subscript]1 families of the related line cross (160 S[subscript]2 lines). The 332 S[subscript]2 entries were evaluated as lines per se in 1985 and 1986 in a total of three environments. Testcrosses of the S[subscript]2 lines also were evaluated during 1986 and 1987 in a total of six environments. The single-crosses of H99 x A619 and Mo17 x MBS2040 were used as testers for the unrelated and related line crosses, respectively. Objectives of this study were to: (1) estimate and compare genetic components of variance among and within S[subscript]1 families developed from unrelated and related line F[subscript]2 populations, and (2) estimate and compare genetic components of variance among and within the testcrosses of the S[subscript]1 families;Results of the line per se evaluation showed more estimates of among family variance to be significant and, in all instances, larger than the estimate of within family variance for the unrelated and related line crosses. Genotypic components of variance, heritabilities, and genetic gains suggested that selection among versus selection within families would result in a greater response to selection at the S[subscript]1 level of inbreeding. Genetic variances among lines were greater in the unrelated line cross for all traits except percentage of root lodging. Although progress from selection would be expected in both groups of lines, a greater response would occur in the unrelated line cross;Genotypic variances among and within testcross families of S[subscript]1 lines of the unrelated line cross were not significantly different from one another for grain yield, percentage of root lodging, and percentage of grain moisture. Estimates that were not significantly different from zero were obtained for among and within testcross families of the related line cross. Relatively high allelic frequencies for traits of interest in the testers may have masked the genetic variation that was present among and within the testcross families

Genetic Variation Among and Within S1 Progenies of Maize

Inbred line development consumes a great portion of the breeder\u27s time and resources in maize (Zea mays L.) breeding programs. Source populations for line development often are developed by selfing F2 populations developed from elite line crosses. Visual selection is practiced among and within selfed progenies during the selection process for one or two generations before evaluated in testcrosses for combining ability. Effective discrimination among and within inbred and testcross progenies depends on the amount of genetic variation present. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of selection among and within S1 progenies developed from crosses of related and unrelated lines. Estimates of among-progeny variance were significant and, in all instances, larger than the estimate of within-progeny variance. Additive genetic variance accounted for the genetic variation among progenies of related and unrelated line crosses. Estimates of variability among and within S1 progeny testcrosses were not different from each other and were less than among and within S1 progenies themselves. In this study, it seems that the choice of testers was not appropriate to distinguish combining ability among progenies for both types of crosses, within the precision of this experiment. On the average, 70.7% greater genetic gains would be realized with among S1 progeny selection vs. within S1 progeny selection

The Leap of Faith: Authentic Greek in the King James Bible

Until the Harry Potter series, the Holy Bible was the bestselling book since the invention of the printing press. Among the 4.7 billion copies of different translations and variations, why is the King James Version still celebrated as the Book of Books even after 400 years? At the time of the King James’ publication in the 17th century, the English language was being pushed, molded, and compounded in many different directions. It was a malleable hybrid, taking hits, downsizing; borrowing and expanding; receding and maturing into what we know today. The King James Bible managed to transcend Puritan/Bishop relations, it managed to overshadow the most popular bibles of the time and win over the hearts and the language of the country and, in turn, the world. Through verse-by-verse analysis and comparisons with other translations of the Bible, I will prove that the King James Bible best captures the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek texts with a proper tone of authority that is part of the King James Bible\u27s colossal impact on the English language

The Structure of Ideas in Freshman Composition.

Students in college courses are expected to produce unified, coherent discourse, yet often composition classes provide few resources for creating effective organization. Or they offer rigid patterns of operation which force every writing task into the same structural mold. Students need tools for underst and ing structure so they can discern it in what they read and create it when they write. To focus on key pedagogical issues, I examine two approaches to teaching structured writing: William Kerrigan's Writing to the Point: Six Basic Steps and Peter Elbow's Writing Without Teachers. This comparison reveals the necessity for tapping students' implicit ability to create diverse (even conflicting) structural connections. Writing is then seen to involve two broad stages, the first a heuristic process aimed at discovering a central idea, the second (growing out of and interacting with the first) an explicative process aimed at developing and molding an idea for presentation. In order to increase their control over unifying structure, students must develop an underst and ing of its nature and function and become familiar with the variety of structural patterns available to them. I use a triangular model to reveal and explore the kinds of connections in discourse. As an abstract image, it illustrates the interconnections between levels of abstraction necessary to meaningful communication, the unifying role of the main idea as it relates to subordinate ideas and examples, and the linking function of the various segments. As a working model it assists students in the discovery and creation of structural relationships. I also consider how structure is translated into the linear sequence of discourse. Writers must create an arrangement pattern and provide sufficient clues so a reader can comprehend the multiple connections implied by the triangular model of structure. By analyzing essays a college student might read, I illustrate the factors which affect the choice of a linear pattern and suggest how analysis of reading material can contribute to students' ability to identify structure and use it effectively.Ph.D.Language artsUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/158944/1/8224896.pd

Still America’s Pastime: The Longevity of Baseball in U.S. Culture

Robert Frost once wrote “I am never more at home in America than at a baseball game.” To some Americans, a baseball field is hallowed ground; it is a sacred space. Fans devote their time, money and emotions to a group of men who, in reality, play a game for a living. The Chicago Cubs have been heartbroken year after year and have not won a World Series since 1908, but why is their fan base one of the strongest in the country? Why do fans in general devote so much time to their hometown baseball club? In the twentieth century, baseball was the king of the entertainment industry. In 1930, Babe Ruth was the first player to have a higher salary than the President. He changed the way baseball was played by hitting towering home runs, years before the home run became an art of the game. The twenty-first century is showing that more Americans enjoy football and basketball over baseball. In the summer of 2010, an NFL preseason game got a higher overnight rating (television) than a Yankees vs. Red Sox game, the fiercest rivalry in baseball. Despite escalating popularity of football and basketball, I will argue that there are ongoing historical and cultural reasons that account for the longevity of baseball as “America’s pastime.

The Wounded Warrior Project: American Society and Conscription

In recent years, there have been sharp increases in displays of gratitude toward America’s military veterans. Every Memorial Day, Fourth of July, September 11th, and Veterans Day, the Internet, television, and various forms of social media are inundated with expressions of thanks for veterans and the fallen. Businesses, celebrities, politicians, and others who fail to show some form of gratitude (Twitter, Facebook, press conference, etc.) run the risk of being perceived as un-American. Firsthand interviews with veterans and secondary source research have led me to conclude that America should require some type (military, educational, governmental, public-private partnership, etc.) of post-high civil service. My project explores the socioeconomic and cultural reasons for supporting the establishment of a policy of national service

Variation among and within S1 progenies of maize

Maize (Zea mays L.) breeders emphasize selection within F[subscript]2 populations of elite line crosses that have different levels of genetic relationship. Two maize F[subscript]2 populations, one of a cross of unrelated lines (B73 x Mo17) and one of a cross of related lines (B73 x B84), were used to derive two groups of unselected S[subscript]2 lines. Two S[subscript]2 lines per S[subscript]1 family were evaluated for 86 S[subscript]1 families of the unrelated line cross (172 S[subscript]2 lines) and 80 S[subscript]1 families of the related line cross (160 S[subscript]2 lines). The 332 S[subscript]2 entries were evaluated as lines per se in 1985 and 1986 in a total of three environments. Testcrosses of the S[subscript]2 lines also were evaluated during 1986 and 1987 in a total of six environments. The single-crosses of H99 x A619 and Mo17 x MBS2040 were used as testers for the unrelated and related line crosses, respectively. Objectives of this study were to: (1) estimate and compare genetic components of variance among and within S[subscript]1 families developed from unrelated and related line F[subscript]2 populations, and (2) estimate and compare genetic components of variance among and within the testcrosses of the S[subscript]1 families;Results of the line per se evaluation showed more estimates of among family variance to be significant and, in all instances, larger than the estimate of within family variance for the unrelated and related line crosses. Genotypic components of variance, heritabilities, and genetic gains suggested that selection among versus selection within families would result in a greater response to selection at the S[subscript]1 level of inbreeding. Genetic variances among lines were greater in the unrelated line cross for all traits except percentage of root lodging. Although progress from selection would be expected in both groups of lines, a greater response would occur in the unrelated line cross;Genotypic variances among and within testcross families of S[subscript]1 lines of the unrelated line cross were not significantly different from one another for grain yield, percentage of root lodging, and percentage of grain moisture. Estimates that were not significantly different from zero were obtained for among and within testcross families of the related line cross. Relatively high allelic frequencies for traits of interest in the testers may have masked the genetic variation that was present among and within the testcross families.</p