James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell
Born: May 17, 1903, Starkville, MS
Died: March 7, 1991, St. Louis, MO
At age 19, James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell began playing for the St. Louis Stars. The Stars manager Bill Gatewood gave him the nickname "Cool Papa" after watching him calmly strikeout famed player Oscar Charleston. Bell's speed was legendary, and he may be the fastest baseball player of all time. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
Sources: The Society for American Baseball Research, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Major League Baseball, Encyclopedia Britannica, National Public Radio, and the Library of Congress were the primary research sources for the biographical information contained in this exhibition label.
