{"id":562,"date":"2021-06-07T18:48:25","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T18:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/inductee\/levi-jackson\/"},"modified":"2021-09-27T18:43:53","modified_gmt":"2021-09-27T18:43:53","slug":"levi-jackson","status":"publish","type":"inductee","link":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/inductee\/levi-jackson\/","title":{"rendered":"Levi Jackson"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In every avenue of athletics, academics, military, and corporate business, Levi Jackson has left his mark of excellence and success to many around him.\u00a0 Whether is was his swifty moves as a halfback for Hillhouse High School and Yale University, or his accomplishments at his job in the Ford Motor Company organization, tonight\u2019s Branford Sports Hall of Fame inductee gives his time to several affiliations for the well-being of others. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A graduate of Hillhouse High School, Levi played halfback for his high school team, receiving All-Connecticut recognition for his efforts as well as being elected captain in his senior year.\u00a0 From January of 1945 to July 1946, Levi served in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps on an 18 month tour of duty before returning to New Haven and attending Yale University.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As a freshman with the Bulldogs, Jackson was awarded the George Bulger Lowe Trophy, recognizing the top college player in New England.\u00a0 One of his many feats which earned him that award was his 86 yard touchdown run against Ivy League rival, Columbia.\u00a0 In 1949, Levi was named the football\u2019s team 70th captain, largely in part to his running prowess and his ability to play in pain.\u00a0 Levi\u2019s coach at the time, Herman Hickman, described Jackson as a \u201cremarkable athlete,\u201d who could reel off all-the-way-gains and throw a fine pass as well as punt with the best in the nation.\u00a0 In 1950, Levi graduated from Yale with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology, Economics and Psychology.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In addition to his success in school and in football, Jackson was determined to ascend in one other area of life- the corporate business world.\u00a0 Beginning in 1951, Levi worked for the Ford Motor Company for the next 32 years before retiring on January 1, 1983.\u00a0 While employed there, Jackson received several awards for his efforts.\u00a0 In 1968, Levi was given the Ford Citizen of the Year Award, the highest award in the corporation, for community service.\u00a0 Jackson was cited for his civic, educational, and spiritual work.\u00a0 A year later, Levi was appointed as chairman to the National Selective Service Appeal Board by President Richard Nixon, and later he served on the President\u2019s Commission on the White House Fellowship.\u00a0 Apart from that, Levi has been involved with other affiliations including Springfield College, the Detroit Medical Center Corporation and Children\u2019s Hospital as a trustee, and he was chairman of the trustees of Detroit\u2019s Kirwood Hospital.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In 1987, Jackson returned to New Haven to accept his award as the 1987 Walter CampFootball Foundation\u2019s \u201cMan of the Year Award,\u201d and now in 1991, Levi returns to Branford via Detroit, Michigan, to accept yet another award \u2013 an induction into the Branford Sports Hall of Fame.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEven though I moved to New Haven during World Ward II, when I drove by Branford, I was proud to call Branford my home town.\u00a0 Getting inducted is just great. To be mentioned in the same breath with Heb Williams, Joe Torello, and George \u201cBattler\u201d Laich (who all played football for the Branford Laurels at Hammer Field), I feel real good.” <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":563,"template":"","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inductee\/562"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inductee"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/inductee"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/branfordsportshalloffame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}