Walter Owens

Walter Owens (August 19, 1933 – September 20, 2020) was a pitcher and outfielder who played in Negro league baseball. He batted and threw right handed.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Owens grew up in Detroit, where he played on three high school city baseball champions and received a scholarship from the Western Michigan University. In there, he played basketball and track and field and became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in May 1954. In one game of those summers, Owens hit a single and struck out in two at-bats while facing the legendary Satchel Paige. Although Owens was considered a reliable pitcher and fierce competitor, he was guided by former Negro leagues star and Detroit resident Turkey Stearnes, who advised him to stay in school. Eventually, Owens became the baseball coach at Detroit’s Northwestern High School, where he represented a father figure for many of his players. There they called him affectionately 'Coach O', a moniker that Owens proudly used throughout his life. While at Northwestern, he also served as a mentor for future MLB All-Stars Willie Horton and Alex Johnson.

An emeritus professor at NIU, in 2011 Owens received the E.B. Henderson Award during the annual convention of the National Association for Health & Fitness in San Diego, California. This award acknowledges those who have made outstanding contributions to the improvement and development of their community. It was presented to Owens for his leadership in fighting racial discrimination in both his profession and society.