UCLA

Jackie Robinson Monument Unveiled at UCLA

The four-star athlete at UCLA was commemorated with a monument just outside the center named after him

UCLA unveiled a brand-new monument in Jackie Robinson's name Saturday right on the Westwood campus.

The monument is a 42-inch bronze "42", which is Robinson's number and a number that has been retired by Major League Baseball. It also features a plaque that includes a famous quote from Robinson:

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

The location of the monument is outside the athletics and recreation center already named after the famous athlete. The center was named after Robinson in 2014 marking the 75th year anniversary of Robinson's first semester at UCLA.

Present at the monument unveiling were UCLA Chancellor Gene Bock, Robinson's niece Kathy Robinson Young, UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero and Wasserman Foundation President Casey Wasserman.

``Jackie is one of us,'' UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said.``He's a Bruin. And it's my hope that through this monument, so generously funded, generations of future Bruins will walk this campus,keeping the legacy of Jackie Robinson in the forefront of both their hearts and their minds.''

The monument was funded by the Wasserman Foundation, according to UCLA. It was designed to be a link to each of the in-ground bronze number 42s placed at each entry point to UCLA's training centers,competition sites and fields.

Robinson attended UCLA after transferring from Pasadena Junior College in the spring of 1939. At UCLA, Robinson became the school's first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, football, basketball and track.

Robinson went on to become the first African-American to play in MLB, breaking the color barrier while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

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