U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for November 23

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23: EMMETT ASHFORD

Profile America — Tuesday, November 23rd.  Today marks the birthday in 1914 of Emmett Ashford — the first African-American umpire in Major League Baseball.  He was the first black professional umpire when he worked games of the Southwest International League, then went on to umpire Pacific Coast League games for many years.  In April 1966, he became the first of his race to umpire in the majors, working in the American League.  Ashford was known for his impeccable dress, including cufflinks and his flashy style of making calls.  He retired at the mandatory age of 56 in 1970.  Major League Baseball today attracts nearly 80 million fans to its games each year.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2010, p. 573

               Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 1208

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau