Emmett Ashford, The First Black Major League Umpire Was a Member of Kappa Alpha Psi

Did you know that Emmett Ashford, the first Black umpire in Major League Baseball, was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.? Ashford crossed through the Upsilon Chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles, and went on to break one of the sport’s most stubborn color barriers.

Born November 23, 1914, in Los Angeles, Ashford played baseball and ran track at Jefferson High School, where he became the school’s first Black senior class president and co-edited the student newspaper. He later graduated from Chapman University in 1941.

His path to umpiring began almost by accident, when he was asked to fill in for an official who never showed up to a semi-pro game he was playing in. While serving in the Navy during World War II, Ashford heard the news that Jackie Robinson had signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and that night he set a goal for himself: to become the first Black umpire in the major leagues.

In 1951, he broke the color line for umpires in the previously all-white professional leagues, the system that fed the major leagues. He spent more than ten seasons in the Pacific Coast League, eventually becoming its umpire-in-chief, before the American League purchased his contract. Ashford made his major league debut at D.C. Stadium on April 11, 1966.

In true Kappa Alpha Psi fashion, Ashford brought a bold, high-energy style to the position, complete with jewelry, French cuff links, polished shoes, and crisply pressed suits. Some critics claimed his flair undercut his authority, and he absorbed racist abuse throughout his career, but he kept his composure and his focus on the game. He worked the 1967 All-Star Game and the 1970 World Series before retiring after the 1970 season at age 55.

Ashford died of a heart attack on March 1, 1980, at age 65, in Marina del Rey, California. His legacy lives on every time a Black umpire steps onto a major league field.

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