James Madison (Jack) Gilliam was born on January 11, 1905 in Farmville, Va. In 1959 Jack initiated the first Babe Ruth Baseball League in Front Royal, Va; the first and oldest Babe Ruth League in Virginia. His enthusiastic and never ending efforts resulted in Bing Crosby donating to his league and lead to the building of the Bing Crosby Stadium at Front Royal which has been the site of many district and state Babe Ruth Tournaments. Since then it has been expanded to an immense recreation area.
Jack founded the Royal Lumber Company in 1937 in Front Royal. He was the owner and publisher of the "Market Report", a weekly publication in Atlanta, Ga. He was District V Director for Babe Ruth League of Virginia. He was the Charter President of the Front Royal Recreational Association. Despite all these activities, he pursued his desire to see every boy play the game he loved and played himself.
James Madison died July 22, 1971.
He was posthumously inducted into the Babe Ruth Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
