Inductees

 Bob Kendrick

Sports Administration – Class of 2014

Bob Kendrick was named President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in March of 2011. The NLBM is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African-American baseball and its profound impact on the social advancement of America.

Kendrick’s appointment marked a celebrated return to the NLBM. He became the museum’s first Director of Marketing in 1998 and was named Vice President of Marketing in 2009 before accepting the post as Executive Director of the National Sports Center for the Disabled-Kansas City. Prior to his departure, Kendrick’s leadership helped secure more than $15 million in financial support for the NLBM and widespread national acclaim. Kendrick is now responsible for the museum’s day-to-day operations and for the development and implementation of strategies to advance the mission and financial stability of the 501 c3, not-for-profit organization.

Kendrick began his association with the NLBM as a volunteer during his 10-year newspaper career with The Kansas City Star. As senior copywriter for The Star’s Promotions Department, he won, or was part of a creative team that won, numerous local and regional advertising and marketing awards. He developed the advertising concept and campaign that helped attract more 10,000 people (in less than 30 days) to see the debut of the Museum’s first traveling exhibit in the summer of 1993. The success of that promotion led to an appointment to the museum’s Board of Directors in the fall of ‘93.

In his nearly five years on the Museum’s board, Kendrick served as Secretary/Treasurer and chaired the Membership and Event Planning committees. He was co-chairman of the Museum’s grand-opening gala celebration that attracted more than 1,700 people to Bartle Hall in November of 1997. The event raised more than $300,000 in support of the NLBM.

Kendrick has been responsible for the creation of several signature museum educational programs and events including the Legacy Awards, a national baseball awards ceremony that annually recognizes the best Major League baseball players, managers and executives with awards in the name and spirit of Negro League legends such as Buck O’Neil, “Cool Papa” Bell, Bullet Rogan and Josh Gibson.

And while he doesn’t fashion himself to be a historian, Kendrick has become one of the leading authorities on the topic of Negro Leagues Baseball history and its connection to issues relating to sports, race and diversity. He has been a contributing writer for “Ebony Magazine” and the national Urban League’s “Opportunity Magazine.”

Kendrick’s volunteer roots in the Kansas City community are deep and passionate. He has served on the boards of various Kansas City-area non-profit organizations and has worked with Kansas City youth for more than 20 years. He remains active in the community and spends a great deal of time in Kansas City classrooms giving motivational talks to area students and sharing the illustrious history of Negro Leagues Baseball with nearly 100 schools, social and civic groups annually.

Kendrick has been honored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Black Achievers Society for his community service. In 2006, the Greater Kansas City Black Chamber of Commerce awarded him the Mary Lona Diversity Award and he was named “Citizen of the Year” by the Omicron Xi Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. In 2009, The Kansas City Globe named Kendrick to the papers’ list of “100 Most Influential African-Americans in Greater Kansas City.”

A native of Crawfordville, Ga., Kendrick received a basketball scholarship to attend Park College (Parkville, Mo.) in 1980 where he earned a B.A. degree in Communications Arts in 1985.