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area until 2007, when a stroke sidelined him at the age of 76. Party
Overall, Owens coached baseball and basketball during 54 years, 34 of them at Northern Illinois University before retiring in May 2007. Among his many accomplishments, he coached three high school baseball champion teams, four
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252:. This award acknowledges those who have made outstanding contributions to the improvement and development of their community. It was presented to Owens for his leadership in fighting racial discrimination in both his profession and society.
206:, where he represented a father figure for many of his players. There they called him affectionately 'Coach O', a moniker that Owens proudly used throughout his life. While at Northwestern, he also served as a mentor for future
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in a three-season span from 1953 to 1955. At that time, he was forced to use an alias in order to keep his college amateur eligibility. In one game of those summers, Owens hit a
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An emeritus professor at NIU, in 2011 Owens received the E.B. Henderson Award during the annual convention of the
National Association for Health & Fitness in
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Owens graduated from WMU with a bachelor's and master's degree. After graduating, he received an offer to play for the
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National
Amateur baseball champion teams, played against the Canadian Olympic basketball team and the
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During the summer months while at college, Owens played for the
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special draft of the surviving Negro league players
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129:(August 19, 1933 – September 20, 2020) was a
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477:21st-century African-American sportspeople
472:20th-century African-American sportspeople
452:Northern Illinois Huskies baseball coaches
384:Walter Owens receives E.B. Henderson Award
295:"NIU Hall of Famer Walt Owens Passes Away"
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352:Negro League player shares hidden history
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282:Negro League Baseball Museum website
141:. He batted and threw right handed.
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467:Western Michigan University alumni
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417:African-American baseball players
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284:. Retrieved on February 25, 2019.
368:2008 Special Negro Leagues Draft
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390:Retrieved on February 26, 2019.
374:Retrieved on February 26, 2019.
482:Baseball coaches from Michigan
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457:Baseball players from Detroit
442:Basketball coaches from Ohio
333:In the Spotlight: Walt Owens
187:while facing the legendary
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422:Baseball coaches from Ohio
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337:Daily Chronicle website
156:. In there, he played
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250:San Diego, California
235:Major League Baseball
173:Negro American League
139:Negro league baseball
427:Baseball outfielders
278:Walt Owens biography
228:Harlem Globetrotters
312:KL Mitchell website
200:Indianapolis Clowns
148:, Owens grew up in
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79:(2020-09-20)
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26:Walter Owens
412:2020 deaths
407:1933 births
118:(1953–1955)
401:Categories
181:struck out
158:basketball
135:outfielder
60:1933-08-19
47:Outfielder
237:staged a
233:In 2008,
372:MLB.com.
219:softball
144:Born in
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221:in the
185:at-bats
183:in two
171:of the
150:Detroit
131:pitcher
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223:DeKalb
177:single
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69:, U.S.
108:Teams
97:Right
91:Right
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