145:, Roberts had a financially troubled family life as a boy. He and older brother, John Darious Roberts, left school before graduation after beating up the school's principal. He worked as a successful, traveling clothing salesman, then as a promoter of speculative oil and gas leases and production. A large commission in the oil and gas industry, made in 1921, provided the financial means to become a
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Roberts was sometimes described as a "benevolent dictator" and during his tenure he did not hesitate to take swift, stern action against anyone whose words or deeds he believed could tarnish the club's image, no matter how slight. An example of this occurred at the end of the Monday playoff in
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The
Masters Tournament, an invitational event, excluded black players for four decades, with Roberts once quoted as saying "to make an exception would be practicing discrimination in reverse." Roberts was finally forced to relax this stance late in his career, and
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and requiring their exclusive use at all times, including at the
Masters tournament. Masters participants were not permitted to use their own caddies on Augusta National grounds until several years after Roberts' death.
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233:, another comment attributed to Roberts is: "As long as I'm alive, all the golfers will be white and all the caddies will be black." The club had long-standing policies of hiring only black
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Roberts received many awards and honors during his lifetime, including: service on the PGA Advisory
Committee from its inception in 1943 until his death, appointment by the
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via a self-inflicted gunshot on the banks of Ike's Pond at
Augusta. His mother, Rebecca Scott Key Roberts, a niece of the author of the U.S. national anthem,
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183:(played annually at Augusta National), personally extending invitations to the tournament. Roberts served as Chairman of the Masters Tournament from
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referred to the energetic crowd on the 18th fairway following the three players as a "mob" – Whitaker was subsequently banned by
Roberts until
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It was not until 1990, thirteen years after
Roberts stepped down as chairman that Augusta National admitted an
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The Making of the
Masters: Clifford Roberts, Augusta National, and Golf's Most Prestigious Tournament
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The Making of the
Masters, Clifford Roberts, Augusta National, and Golf's Most Prestigious Tournament
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597:. Rochester, New York. Associated Press. April 1, 1973. p. 4D – via newspapers.com.
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Several weeks later, a bronze plaque in his honor was unveiled at the clubhouse entrance.
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led to the
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129:(March 6, 1894 – September 29, 1977) was an American investment dealer and
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to serve on the Bob Jones Award
Selection Committee, and election to the
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This article is about the golf personality. For the football player, see
455:. Washington, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. April 8, 1976. p. C8.
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Two years after its foundation, in 1934, Roberts and Jones started the
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in the late 1920s, a position he held for the remainder of his life.
562:"Treasure of Golf's Sad Past, Black Caddies Vanish in Era of Riches"
370:"Wall Street to Amen Corner: The rollercoaster life of 'Mr Masters'"
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At age 83, Roberts had been in ill health for several months with
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176:. Roberts served as chairman of the club from 1931 through 1976.
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315:. On September 29, 1977, a year after stepping down, Roberts
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Roberts was named "Chairman in Memoriam" after his death.
654:"Highest standards applied even as Roberts took his life"
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became the first person of color to win the tournament.
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McCarthy, Michael; Brady, Erik (September 27, 2002).
352:. Spokane, Washington. November 6, 1977. p. D8.
323:, had taken her own life by gunshot wound in 1913.
686:. Associated Press. September 30, 1977. p. 27
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641:. Florida. UPI. September 30, 1977. p. 1F.
265:member, Ron Townsend. The first woman, former
16:American investment dealer, golf administrator
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748:Suicides by firearm in Georgia (U.S. state)
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473:. Florida. April 8, 1976. p. 3B.
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610:"Privacy becomes public at Augusta"
484:Rothenberg, Fred (April 12, 1979).
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652:Hodgkinson, Mark (April 9, 2004).
635:"Masters' Roberts commits suicide"
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743:World Golf Hall of Fame inductees
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503:Sandomir, Richard (May 5, 2012).
753:People from Louisa County, Iowa
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560:Crouse, Karen (April 4, 2012).
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449:"'Masters' of Masters retiring"
680:"Masters 'ruler' Roberts dead"
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417:Diaz, Jaime (April 11, 1999).
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282:United States Golf Association
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486:"Jack Whitaker's welcome now"
368:Tidey, Will (April 9, 2011).
346:"Plaque honors Cliff Roberts"
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758:People from Augusta, Georgia
724:– Clifford Roberts interview
708:Official site of The Masters
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152:. He became a partner at
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590:"Roberts Man Of Mystery"
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272:, was admitted in 2012.
44:Clifford Roberts in 1953
717:World Golf Hall of Fame
639:Sarasota Herald-Tribune
286:World Golf Hall of Fame
595:Democrat and Chronicle
164:In 1932, Roberts and
154:Reynolds & Company
299:, published in 1999.
120:widow: Betty Roberts
738:Golf administrators
534:"Strokes of Genius"
567:The New York Times
539:Sports Illustrated
532:(April 21, 1997).
267:Secretary of State
230:The New York Times
181:Masters Tournament
109:Masters Tournament
96:golf administrator
94:Investment banker,
75:September 29, 1977
453:Observer-Reporter
321:Francis Scott Key
202:Dwight Eisenhower
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60:March 6, 1894
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688:. Retrieved
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662:. Retrieved
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530:Reilly, Rick
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419:"The Master"
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77:(1977-09-29)
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768:1977 deaths
763:1894 births
256:Tiger Woods
166:Bobby Jones
147:Wall Street
137:Early years
732:Categories
545:January 1,
395:David Owen
330:References
297:David Owen
56:1894-03-06
690:August 2,
664:March 30,
619:April 25,
614:USA Today
514:March 30,
428:March 30,
376:March 30,
372:. CNN.com
288:in 1978.
276:Accolades
244:Lee Elder
199:President
115:Spouse(s)
722:You Tube
660:. London
573:April 4,
187:through
141:Born in
715:at the
235:caddies
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313:stroke
309:cancer
393:, by
303:Death
250:. In
212:when
692:2012
666:2016
621:2010
575:2012
547:2009
516:2016
430:2016
399:ISBN
378:2016
252:1997
248:1975
222:1972
210:1966
189:1976
185:1934
131:golf
85:, US
72:Died
66:, US
50:Born
295:by
214:CBS
172:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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