Roy Campanella (1921-1993), American professional baseball player, a catcher who anchored the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League (NL) during the 1950s. A good defensive player with an accurate throwing arm and strong leadership skills, Campanella earned most valuable player (MVP) awards in 1951, 1953, and 1955. Campanella was also a pioneer of baseball integration. When he debuted with the Dodgers on April 20, 1948, he became just the sixth African American to play major league baseball in the 20th century.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to an African-American mother and an Italian-American father, Roy Campanella played youth baseball for the all-black Nicetown Giants. He also starred as the only black player on a white American Legion team. In 1937, at the age of 16, Campanella became a catcher for the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League. He remained with the Elite Giants until 1946, when Branch Rickey signed him to a Brooklyn Dodgers contract. After a couple of seasons in the minor leagues, Campanella joined the Dodgers and quickly rose to stardom.

Campy, as he was known by teammates, was always popular with Brooklyn fans and played on seven NL All-Star teams. Gregarious and good-natured, he was highly respected for his handling of pitchers and for anchoring Brooklyn’s infield defense. Campanella’s batting average fluctuated between .207 and .325 during his career, but he was always at his best with runners on base. In 1951, his first MVP season, he hit 33 home runs and drove in 108 runs. He won the award again in 1953, when he hit 41 home runs and led the National League with 142 runs batted in. Two seasons later, in 1955, Campanella won his third MVP award while leading the Dodgers to their first World Series championship.

Before the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, Campanella was involved in a tragic automobile accident that left him partially paralyzed and ended his playing career prematurely. His account of this, It's Good to Be Alive, was published in 1959. He was enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969—the second black player (after teammate Jackie Robinson) to receive the honor.