There aren’t many people who were buddies with 1930s sprinter Jesse Owens, have played baseball with color barrier-buster Jackie Robinson and have met with former President Bill Clinton, but Buck O’Neil has.

Baseball legend John “Buck” O’Neil spoke, sang, inspired and amazed a crowd Wednesday night in the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium. The event was part of the Freshman Interest Groups Speaker Series.

O’Neil, whose list of accomplishments seems endless, delivered gut-busting humor, stories of his past and some important advice for students.

“I’d rather be here right now talking with you students than any other place,” O’Neil said. “This is America and you can be anything you want to be, but you’ve got to be prepared.”

O’Neil, who as a scout discovered the Chicago Cubs Hall of Famers Ernie Banks and Lou Brock, mentioned the importance of education, noting he was denied a job that would have made him the first African-American general manager in Major League Baseball because he did not have a college degree like his competitor.

“Education is like a garden growing in your mind,” O’Neil said. “You’ve got to continue to water it.”

After arriving, O’Neil, before giving his third annual speech at NIU, signed autographs free of charge for 15 minutes, all the while delivering hugs to the ladies, firm handshakes to the men and smiles to all. He captivated the audience throughout his speech, which seemed to last much shorter than its 45-minute duration. After it was over, there was a line of at least 100 people waiting for an autograph.

“I was pretty impressed,” said Dennis Leaks, a sophomore political science major. “Oh my goodness, it feels good to hear words of encouragement from somebody who’s been through a lot more than you. It was great. I wish more people would’ve come.”

Bruce Oates, the man who first established NIU’s relationship with O’Neil by sending an invitation letter, described his personality.

“Ken Burns said [in his documentary, “Baseball”] that Buck ‘has a gentle voice of love and reason in the world,’ and it’s true, he really does,” said Oates, who also is the assistant director of Registration and Records. “He’s a friend of NIU.”

During the speech, O’Neil, a native of Carrabelle, Fla., had to stop speaking a number of times to let the crowd finish its applause after mentioning impressive accomplishments, like the fact that three and a half years ago he received an honorary high school diploma from Florida’s Sarasota High School, the same school he was denied entry to as a teenager because of his race.

The legend began his speech with a song about believing in things, and from there, the audience was his. At the end, he asked the crowd to join hands and participate in a song, which went: “The greatest thing/ In all of my life/ Is loving you.” The moment warranted a standing ovation.

O’Neil even touched on the Sept. 11 attacks, when discussing his attitude on hate.

“I hate cancer, I hate AIDS,” O’Neil said. “I hate what people just did [in the Sept. 11 attacks]. I hate that, but I don’t hate people.”

Some students came out to draw from O’Neil’s extensive knowledge bank, which he’s been building for more than 89 years. He will turn 90 in November.

“It’s interesting, what he did, his accomplishments,” said Marques Turner, a freshman pre-physical therapy major. “I just came to hear what he had to say. He knows a lot that I don’t know.”

Others came after being advised by a teacher.

“Our instructor [associate provost of student affairs Gary] Gresholdt recommended him to us,” freshman psychology major Ariane Dickerson said. “I thought that it’s cool that he’s coming around to talk to us after all this time.”

Oates shared a story about the first time he met O’Neil. He went to the airport with his 9-year old daughter to pick O’Neil up. She hand-made a sign that said “Buck” on it, themed with baseball drawings.

“[Buck] walked in, and for a few moments, he made her the center of the universe,” he said. “It’s a gift he has … He’s so personable and friendly.”

O’Neil began playing baseball professionally in 1937 as a first baseman with the Negro League’s Memphis Red Sox. For all but two years between 1938 and 1955, he served as a player and/or manager for the Kansas City Monarchs. From 1944 to 1945, he served with the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet in World War II.

O’Neil won six pennants with the Monarchs, including a championship in 1942. He won the Negro League batting title in 1946 with a .353 batting average. O’Neil became the first African-American coach in Major League Baseball history with the Cubs in 1962. He scouted for the Cubs from 1956 to 1989, a time during which he discovered current Cubs announcer Joe Carter, a man he called a “future Hall of Famer.” He currently is a scout for the Kansas City Royals.

O’Neil also is the chairman of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO and a member of the Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame Veteran’s Selection Committee. He also has written a book, called “I Was Right On Time: My Journey from the Negro Leagues to the Majors.” It’s available at bookstores everywhere.

While signing autographs after the speech, O’Neil mentioned to Oates that he was sick with a cold. The man’s optimism should make anyone re-think his or her outlook and attitude on life when an 89-year old man who’s not feeling his best arguably has more charisma, happiness and genuine love than any student or teacher on campus, and perhaps, in the world.