Ed Odeven Reporting

By Ed Odeven

TOKYO (July 30, 2015) — Some stories are timeless and unforgettable; others are easily forgotten. But the vital lessons of the friendship between Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes ought to be told again and again for generations to come.

It’s a powerful reminder of friendship and kindness and common decency and profound courage. It’s a story that transcends racial barriers.

Pat Farabaugh captured the essence of their friendship in his 2014 book, “An Unbreakable Bond: The Brotherhood of Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman.”

Jack Twyman (left) and Maurice Stokes. “I benefited much more from being associated with Maurice than Maurice benefited by being associated with me,” said Jack Twyman, who worked tirelessly for more than a decade to raise money for his friend and former teammate’s medical bills (Saint Francis University’s Maurice Stokes Collection). Jack Twyman (left) and Maurice Stokes. “I benefited much more from being associated with Maurice than Maurice benefited by being associated with me,” said Jack Twyman, who worked tirelessly for more than a decade to raise money for his friend and former teammate’s medical bills (Saint Francis University’s Maurice Stokes Collection).

Stokes (left) and Roy Campanella (right) became friends following accidents less than two months apart in early 1958 that left both sports stars paralyzed. Campanella was a three-time National League Most Valuable Player as a catcher with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He and Maurice are seen here at one of the Stokes Benefit Games at Kutsher’s Resort. In the back row, left to right, are NBA stars Oscar Robertson, Dave DeBusschere, Gus Johnson, Wes Unseld, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain (Saint Francis University Marketing and Public Relations). Stokes (left) and Roy Campanella (right) became friends following accidents less than two months apart in early…

View original post 4,053 more words