Slam dunk: Carnegie Historical Society hosts Harlem Globetrotter
Katherine Mansfield
Jeff Keenan, secretary of the Carnegie Historical Society, welcomes Harlem Globetrotter Robert 无毛视频淏ob无毛视频� Aston to the Sept. 10 event held in Aston无毛视频檚 honor. Aston donated four volumes of family history, which he meticulously researched and penned, to be part of a permanent display at the historical society.
Katherine Mansfield
Robert Aston chats with Dave and Phyllis Doran, both of Carnegie, Sept. 10, during a private event inside the Carnegie Historical Society. The Dorans were among about 70 family members, friends and former neighbors who gathered to celebrate the Aston family无毛视频檚 history and donation to the historical society.
Katherine Mansfield
State Rep. Anita Kulik presents Robert Aston with a formal congratulatory citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Sept. 10 inside the Carnegie Historical Society.
Photos: Katherine Mansfield
无毛视频淲hen I was in second grade, my teacher, Ms. Cook, rang the school bell every morning at 8:00 sharp, and then again at 8:15. We all got used to hearing that, her ringing that bell. We came to expect it. After summer vacation, when we all returned back to school, we heard through the playground grapevine that Ms. Cook did not come back,无毛视频� said Robert Aston during his keynote speech at Carnegie Historical Society Sept. 10. 无毛视频淎s third-graders, our first thought was, 无毛视频榃ho will ring the bell?无毛视频� I offered to ask myself that question. When I无毛视频檓 gone, who in this family will ring the bell? Storytelling is a key skill needed to write a successful family history.无毛视频�
Katherine Mansfield
Family members from across the U.S., friends and neighbors share a laugh during Robert Aston无毛视频檚 keynote speech Sept. 10.
Katherine Mansfield
Following the proclamation presentation and Robert Aston无毛视频檚 keynote speech, Aston laughs with attendees inside the Carnegie Historical Society. Though a two-time basketball Hall of Famer and former Harlem Globetrotter who now calls Texas home, Aston maintains friendships with his Carnegie pals to this day.
Katherine Mansfield
Robert Aston and his wife, Phyllis, pose with Carnegie Historical Society president Dan McGrogan, right, and secretary Jeff Keenan, left, following a special event Sept. 10. Aston donated four volumes of family history to the society, to be part of a permanent display.
Robert 无毛视频淏ob无毛视频� Aston learned to play baseball in the lot behind Carnegie无毛视频檚 historic Husler building, but it isn无毛视频檛 baseball that propelled him onto the national stage.
To sports fans and enthusiasts, Aston is best known as the superstar University of Toledo rebounder who played forward-center with the Harlem Globetrotters in the 1960s. To locals, he无毛视频檚 a member of the Aston family, whose roots run deep in Carnegie.
无毛视频淏ecause my roots are here, I feel this closeness to Carnegie,无毛视频� said Aston, the guest of honor at the Carnegie Historical Society无毛视频檚 Sept. 10 event, during which he was awarded a proclamation. 无毛视频淭oday was a humbling experience for me.无毛视频�
Surrounded by family members from across the U.S., friends and former neighbors, Aston received a formal citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, presented by Carnegie无毛视频檚 state Rep. Anita Kulik, for his contributions to the community.
无毛视频淵ou have had a remarkable life,无毛视频� Kulik said, 无毛视频渁nd the family has a great story to tell in this area. This family traces their roots in Carnegie back to 1866. The members of the extended family have contributed to society, to the various military services, sports accomplishments and success in business and commerce. Thank you for everything you and your family have done for this town that I love so much.无毛视频�
The Aston and extended family is so remarkable, someone could write a book on them; in fact, the family无毛视频檚 history is detailed in four volumes meticulously researched and penned by Aston himself.
Aston donated the four volumes 无毛视频� 无毛视频淭he Aston Family Photo History Book,无毛视频� 无毛视频淕rowing Up Carnegie,无毛视频� 无毛视频淭he Aston Family无毛视频檚 One Percenters II无毛视频� and 无毛视频淗arlem Globetrotters II无毛视频� 无毛视频� to the historical society, which will feature the genealogical records and histories in a permanent display.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 both honored and proud to accept this prestigious proclamation recognition on behalf of the families represented in this room today,无毛视频� Aston said. 无毛视频淓verything that we have achieved in our lives up until today, including this proclamation, are the results of the struggles and sacrifices of the family members in these books.无毛视频�
The Aston family settled in the Pittsburgh area before the Civil War. Henry Aston was born in Old Allegheny City, now the North Shore, in 1827.
无毛视频淗enry signed up to fight in the Civil War when he was 34 years old. During his time in the war, his regiment fought with Gen. Grant in Richmond, Va., when the Northern troops cut off the Southern supply lines and caused and forced Gen. Robert E. Lee to surrender Appomattox. Henry was there with his division or with his regiment,无毛视频� Aston said.
Henry bought a piece of land in Carnegie for $20 after the war and built a home at 428 Jane St. In 1894, just after Mansfield Borough merged with Chartiers, Cora Aston became the first child born in the newly incorporated Carnegie Borough.
Cora was Aston无毛视频檚 aunt. Her brother Eddie is his father.
While the Lewises relocated to nearby McDonald, most Astons remained in Carnegie. Though Aston无毛视频檚 father was a humble man who cleaned local businesses 无毛视频� 无毛视频淢y brother George cleaned this floor that I无毛视频檓 standing on. My dad cleaned the bank next door, and my brother next door to dad worked at Isaly无毛视频檚, and I know everybody went in there to get chipped ham,无毛视频� Aston laughed 无毛视频� he was also prominent in the community.
无毛视频淗e was a heavyweight boxer with a very impressive win-loss record,无毛视频� Aston said. 无毛视频淗e was the first African-American fight promoter in the tri-state area. We have quite a lineup of talented people in this family.无毛视频�
Among the talents: five basketball Hall of Famers, 无毛视频渨hich is most unusual and most rare,无毛视频� Aston said; a professor whose son is a pharmacist and whose daughter works in public administration; an accomplished dancer working in New York City; an Ebony fashion fair model; and a U.S. Navy photographer.
The family also claims George Aston Jr. as kin.
In the 1940s, George Aston Jr. worked as the first Black equipment manager in Major League Baseball. He was the first Black man to wear an official Pittsburgh Pirates uniform, 38 years before Jackie Robinson broke the racial barrier.
Family narratives, which weave the stories of the Astons and Andersons and Carters together, and more, are included in the books donated by Aston to the Carnegie Historical Society.
无毛视频淥ur families are very, very unique. We无毛视频檙e unique because we无毛视频檙e one percentage of the U.S. population of the families who have a written history. We not only have a written history, but we have a written history (in the) historical society of Carnegie, soon to be a permanent display,无毛视频� Aston said.
His own history is included between covers. Aston and his brother Joe Aston were all-star basketball players at Carlynton High School, where Joe无毛视频檚 team won the school无毛视频檚 first championship and Aston led the team to its last championship.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e the record holders in high school for points scored,无毛视频� Aston said.
Aston also had a stellar college career: he无毛视频檚 one of the best rebounders in Toledo Rocket无毛视频檚 history, and ranks fourth in all-time career boards, with 10.9 per game. In four games, Aston grabbed 20 or more boards in a game. He led the team in points per game, rebounds per game and field goal percentage the 无毛视频�65-66 season, and served as captain his senior year.
After graduating in 1966, Aston was drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters and spent three years touring the world and playing alongside other greats (he himself is a Globetrotter Hall of Famer).
无毛视频淢y most memorable moment was the proud look on my mom and dad无毛视频檚 face when I introduced them to Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal after our game in Pittsburgh,无毛视频� Aston told friends and family Sept. 10. 无毛视频淚 gotta tell you, I was really proud that day. Some of you people were at that game. I could hear you all up in the stands, I could hear you. I heard my dad, for sure.无毛视频�
While basketball has been his legacy, completing four volumes of family history has been a passion project for Aston, who thanked several family members for assisting with genealogical and other research.
无毛视频淎fter he retired, he needed a project,无毛视频� laughed Aston无毛视频檚 wife, Phyllis. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 really proud of what he did.无毛视频�
Though he didn无毛视频檛 explicitly say it, Aston is proud, too 无毛视频� proud to be part of such an accomplished and respectable family and blessed to share that family无毛视频檚 history with others.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 overwhelming. I think that something like this, it无毛视频檚 immeasurable,无毛视频� he said, pointing to the proclamation as family and friends chatted around him. 无毛视频淎 lot of genealogy and research work went into writing these history books. Parts of the story were handed down to me from family members. It无毛视频檚 so important that we pass this history on to the next generation.无毛视频�