Professional Baseball Player. He played in the Negro Leagues during the 1940s. He was born one of eight children as Russell Alfred Awkard to Walter Alfred Awkard (1888-1969), and his wife Alice Irene Snowden Awkard (1897-1970), in Howard County, Maryland, on October 7, 1917. He played the position of outfielder and rightfielder initially first for the Washington Royal Giants in 1939, and then for the New York Cubans making his professional debut with them in 1940. The 5'10' and 150lbs outfielder and rightfielder who batted left and threw right also played for the Newark Eagles in 1941. His 162 Game Average consisted of 162 Games Played, 758 Plate Appearances, 685 At Bats, 125 Runs Scored/Allowed, 193 Hits/Hits Allowed, 16 Doubles/Hits Allowed, 10 Triples Hit/Allowed, 10 Home Runs Hit/Allowed, 78 Runs Batted In, 0 Stolen Bases, 0 Caught Stealing, 68 Bases On Balls/Walks, 0 Strikeouts, .282 Hits/At Bats, .352 On Base Percentage, .382 Slugging Percentage, .733 On Base Percentage Plus Slugging Percentage, and 95 Adjusted On Base Percentage Plus Slugging Percentage. Following his professional baseball career, he served his country as a member of the United States Army's Quartermaster Corps, having seen acting service in France, England, and Belgium, during World War II. During his time in professional baseball, he was considered to be one of the Negro League's finest players. On an interesting note, he was featured in an article entitled, "The Names Is Awkard, with one W," in the publication, USA Today in 1993. He also had the opportunity with other living Negro League baseball players to meet then President of the United States Bill Clinton with it being arranged by Bob Hieronimus, an educator, artist, author, and activist. Following his professional baseball career and military service, he worked as a machinist at the Navy Ordinance Laboratory in White Oak, Maryland, until his retirement. He was also a member of the NAACP (or The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), the American Legion, and the Sharp Street United Methodist Church in Sandy Springs, Maryland. He passed away at the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 1, 2002, at the age of 84. Following his death, his funeral service was held at the Snowden Funeral Home in Rockville, Maryland, and at the Sharp Street United Methodist Church in Sandy Springs, Maryland, and he was buried in an unmarked grave in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring, Maryland. He was married to Carolyn M. Awkard with whom he had four children, Walter Awkard, George Awkard, Michael Awkard, and Reverend A. Russell Awkard, who became Pastor of the New Zion Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and President, of the Rodgers-Awkard & Lyons Funeral Home in Louisville, Kentucky.