English, the first Black woman to open a private practice in the state of New York, was known as Brooklyn's Birth Mother. She had delivered some six thousand babies, including the children of Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X. She became a philanthropist, and her patronage of the arts was perhaps best represented by her conversion of St. Casimir's into a haven for theatre, performance, and community engagement.
In 1966, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale were set to pitch for the defending World Series champion Dodgers. The only issue for the future Hall of Famers, though, was their compensation. The players were offered slight raises coming into 1966: From $85,000 to $100,000 for Koufax, and from $80,000 to $85,000 for Drysdale. Despite that, the pair of pitchers were determined to not let the team play them against each other in contract negotiations.