H. R. 1861 

One Hundred Fifteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and eighteen 

An Act 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of Lawrence Eugene ‘‘Larry’’ Doby 

in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league 

athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Larry Doby Congressional 

Gold Medal Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds that— 

(1) Larry Doby was born in Camden, South Carolina, on 

December 13, 1923, and moved to Paterson, New Jersey, in 

1938, where he became a standout four-sport athlete at 

Paterson Eastside High School; 

(2) Larry Doby attended Long Island University on a 

basketball scholarship before enlisting in the United States 

Navy during World War II; 

(3) upon his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946, 

Larry Doby played baseball in the Negro National League 

for the Newark Eagles; 

(4) after playing the 1946 season, Larry Doby’s contract 

was purchased by the Cleveland Indians of the American 

League on July 3, 1947; 

(5) on July 5, 1947, Larry Doby became the first AfricanAmerican to play in the American League; 

(6) Larry Doby played in the American League for 13 

years, appearing in 1,533 games and batting .283, with 253 

home runs and 970 runs batted in; 

(7) Larry Doby was voted to seven All-Star teams, led 

the American League in home runs twice, and played in two 

World Series; 

(8) in 1948, Larry Doby helped lead the Cleveland Indians 

to a World Series Championship over the Boston Braves and 

became the first African-American player to hit a home run 

in a World Series game; 

(9) after his stellar playing career ended, Larry Doby 

continued to make a significant contribution to his community; 

(10) Larry Doby was a pioneer in the cause of civil rights 

and received honorary doctorate degrees from Long Island 

University, Princeton University, and Fairfield University; 
H. R. 1861—2 

(11) in 1978, Larry Doby became the manager of the Chicago White Sox, only the second African-American manager 

of a Major League Baseball team; 

(12) Larry Doby was the Director of Community Relations 

for the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association, 

where he was deeply involved in a number of inner-city youth 

programs; and 

(13) Larry Doby was inducted to the National Baseball 

Hall of Fame in 1998. 

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the House 

of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 

shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 

behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design, in honor 

of Larry Doby and in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed 

Forces during World War II. 

(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purpose of the presentation 

referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred 

to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike a gold medal with 

suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by 

the Secretary. 

(c) TRANSFER OF MEDAL AFTER PRESENTATION.—Following the 

presentation of the gold medal in honor of Larry Doby pursuant 

to subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to his son, Larry 

Doby, Jr. 

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 

gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such regulations 

as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the 

cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 

and overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal. 

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck under this Act are 

national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United 

States Code. 
H. R. 1861—3 

(b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 5134 and 

5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under 

this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.