Title	Brooklyn Dodgers baseball star James “Jim” Gilliam presented with key to City, Nashville, Tennessee, circa 1955
Personal name	Gilliam, James William, 1928-1978
Corporate name	Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball team)--History--Sources
Topical entry	Celebrities Baseball--Tennessee--Nashville--History Baseball players--Tennessee--Nashville Sports--Tennessee--Nashville Athletes--United States
Geographic entry	Nashville (Tenn.)--History--Sources Nashville and Davidson County (Tenn.)--History--Sources Nashville (Tenn.)--Social life and customs
Description	Pictured: Brooklyn Dodgers baseball star James William “Jim” Gilliam accepting a Nashville Honorary Citizen Award and key to the City, circa 1955. Mayor Ben West (on right) and the other officials are presenting the honor at a sports stadium in Nashville. Gilliam was born October 17, 1928 in Nashville, Tennessee and began playing on a local semi-pro team at age 14. He left high school to pursue his career in baseball. He was voted an All-Star three years from 1948 to 1950, playing in the Negro Leagues with the Baltimore Elite Giants. In 1951 he was signed as a free agent by the Brooklyn Dodgers and played for their International League farm team, the Montreal Royals. Gilliam made his debut with the Dodgers in April 1953. He continued to star with the team after their 1958 move to Los Angeles, California, retiring as a player following the 1966 season. Gilliam played in seven World Series with the Dodgers. Upon retirement, he became a full-time coach in 1967 until his death in 1978. Forms part of Record Group 3, Metro Davidson County Photographer. 1 photograph negative : b & w ; 4 x 5 in.
Publisher	Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County Archives, Nashville Public Library
Date	ca. 1955
Type	Still Image; Negatives
Format	image/jpeg
Identifier	RG 3 4420 James Gilliam Dodger honorary citizen 1955 001
Relation	Record Group 3 Metro Davidson County Photographer
Coverage	1950-1959
Rights	U.S. and international copyright laws protect this digital content, which is provided for educational purposes only and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or distributed for any other purpose without written permission. Please contact the Metro Archives, Nashville Public Library, 615 Church Street, Nashville, Tennessee, 37219. Telephone (615) 862-5880.
Location	Closed Stacks, Metro Archives RG3