By signing this petition you will be communicating to Seattle Parks & Recreation the value and importance in recognizing one of our own who worked against racism to be the first Black golfer to win a national golf tournament. 

Renaming the Jefferson Golf Course to the Bill Wright Golf Complex honors and pays tribute to Bill Wright a former south end resident, Franklin High School graduate, and the first Washingtonian and African American to win the Public Links Tournament in 1959. (USGA Tournament)

Bill was a Pioneer, he broke the Color barrier in golf in 1959. While Bill battled on the golf course his parents directly confronted the racial discrimination policies of the Seattle Parks & Recreation Department and its Parks’ Board through the governor’s office. Robert Wright officially challenged the racial discrimination policies of the private golf clubs by charging the Seattle Parks Board with a complaint to the State Board Against Discrimination. (“State Board to Act on Complaint by Negro Golfer,” Seattle Daily Time, May 3, 1961) on May 3, 1961. 

Bill was an Activist while participating in a predominantly white only sport. In order to enter tournaments, golfers had to be members of a public course and carry an official USGA handicap. During the 1950’s, Wright stated, there were courses where Chinese, Japanese and Black players were welcome and even played with handicaps, but they were not recognized by the USGA. 

Bill was a Teacher and shared his interest in working with you people by completing his bachelor’s degree in education at Western Washington University (WWU). He started his academic career at the University of Washington (UW) but transferred to Western because he was not allowed to pay golf at UW. Bill and his wife, Ceta, moved to Los Angeles, where he taught elementary school in Watts. He continued to pursue professional golf, but it remained a pipe dream because the PGA of America had a Caucasian-only clause which was finally lifted in 1961, thanks to pioneers such as Charlie Sifford, Ted Rhodes, and Bill Spiller. 

Bill was a Hero because of discrimination he was not allowed to carry a golf handicap before arriving at WWU in the 1950’s. He was unable to play in the men’s club events or even in the Seattle City Amateur due to being Black. It was not until 1954 that Bill convinced the Seattle City Amateur administrator to allow him and his father (an avid golfer) to be allowed to compete in the tournament. Bill finished first and his father was third, and most importantly, doors started to open for Bill to play in more tournaments.