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The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, September 9, 2009 - 9
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First African American NFL Official
Passes Away
The first African
American allowed to be a
game official in the National
Football League has died.
Burl Toler was 81 years old.
He died at a hospital in
Castro Valley, California.
Toler was hired by the NFL
in 1965 after suffering a
career-ending knee injury in
1952 during a college all-star
game.
Toler was also involved
in that infamous 1951 inci
dent when despite a 9-0
record, the University of San
Francisco was denied a bowl
bid because it refused a
demand that it not bring its
two Black players to the
game. Toler was drafted by
the Cleveland Browns but
suffered a career-ending
knee injury in a 1952 college
all-star game against the
Rams. He was hired by the
Burl Toler
NFL in 1965.
"Burl Toler was a pioneer as
the first African American
game official in pro sports,"
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello
said. "He was a great athlete
who then became a great
official. The NFL will
always be proud of his con
tributions to football and his
unique place in NFL histo
ry. "Toler is survived by his
brother, Arnold, of
Memphis; six children,
Valerie, Burl Jr., Susan,
Gregory, Martel and
Jennifer; and eight grand
children. His wife, Melvia,
died in 1991.
A funeral Mass was held
Aug. 26 in San Francisco.
Before coming to USF,
he was an All-American
football player at City
College of San Francisco. He
graduated from USF with a
bachelor's degree in 1952
and a master's in 1966. Toler
was a longtime educator in
the San Francisco school dis
trict, a director of personnel
for the San Francisco com
munity college district and a
USF trustee.
St. Paul C.M.E. Church to hold
Music Worshop
The Music Ministry of
St. Paul CME Church will be
conducting a three night
music workshop.
The workshop is free
and open to all choir direc
tors, choir members, and
musicians. The workshop
will be facilitated by Rev.
Robert Lewis, III, Minister
of Music at St. Paul CME
Church.
It will be held
Wednesday, September 16th
- Friday, September 18th
from 7:00 pm -9:00 pm
nightly.
The workshop series
will be convene every three
months as we reach out to
our Music Ministry
Community and share music
that will bless the people of
God.
All genres will be
taught, Contemporary
Gospel, Traditional Gospel,
Praise and Worship, Hymns,
Spirituals, Anthems,
Congregational Songs and
Seasonal Music (Christmas
and Easter).
For more information
please or to register please
contact. Rev. Robert Lewis,
III at 257-8949 or you may
call the church office and ask
for Ms. LaTrell Boddie at
233-2849.
Stay Informed!
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National Council of Negro Women
Installs New Officers
L-R Ruby Hall/ Fin. Sec, Estelle Mannion/Pres, Betty Lasseter/ Outgoing Pres. Pat
The National Council of
Negro Women, Savannah
Section’s new slate of offi
cers were installed Sunday,
August 31 at St. Phillip AME
Church by Reverend Dr. John
Foster, Pastor.
The officers are: Estelle
Mannion/ President and
Organizer of the Section,
Vanessa Collins-Smith/ 1st
Vice President, Shanita
Pond/2nd Vice President,
Ruby Hall / Financial
Secretary, Antoinette
Mullino/Treasure, Pat Bray/
Correspondence Secretary/
and Angela Green/
/Corr. Sec. Shanita Pond/2nd
Recording Secretary.
Officers for other positions
will be appointed by the pres
ident.
The current list of offi
cers will serve for the term-
2009 to 2011 and may be re
elected.
The National Council of
Negro Women, Savannah
Section’s was organized by
Estelle Mannion on July 28,
1994.
The NCNW Savannah
Section is one of more than
250 community based sec
tions nationwide. It has a
membership body of more
VP
than 100 active members
comprising of Life Members,
Legacy Life, Annual and
Associate Members.
The Section will have
an “Evening of Fellowship
Sunday, September 13, 4:00
pm at Ryan’s Restaurant on
Stevenson Avenue in
Savannah. Any person desir
ing membership is invited to
attend.
The Savannah Section
meets once monthly.
Monthly meetings will
resume in October with a
new date, place and time to
be announced.
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Joyce Coleman
Employee of the Year for 2007
7110 Skidaway Road
Vita Davis
Employee of Llie Year for 2008
701 M. L. King, Jr. Blvd
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Bank on Savannah Accounts are available.
Two great locations to serve you
FDIC
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