John Hallett B

John Hallett: From A to Z continued:


Baseball

“His daddy was a railroad man. His momma was a stay at home mother who reared her children to the glory of the Lord. So Johnnie grew up with, what I call a good music education. But all the while he loved baseball. And he not only skilled his, emphasized his skill as a musician, he emphasized his skill as a baseball player. There was a team there in Binghamton that was a farm team of the New York Yankees. And that farm team asked Johnnie to play with him. And he played regularly from time to time with a Binghamton farm team of the New York Yankees. And then the Yankees heard about Johnnie and asked him to try out for, believe it or not, the New York Yankees baseball team. You’ll see why I mention that in just a few moments. But he loved baseball and he loved music, but ultimately it was music that won out, because of his love for music.” (recounted by his life-long friend Dr. Carl (Kelly) Bihl during John Hallett’s Memorial Service)

John said in an undated interview: “I had heard the Yankees were coming to the Triple Cities for an exhibition game with the “Triple Team”. It was the Yankees farm team. I had a try-out with the Yankees when I was l6 years old and made it. I received a scholarship to go to Columbia University to play baseball. I loved baseball so much. I played short-stop and 3d base.”

John loved baseball. A few years later he was given railroad tickets to come to Yankee Stadium and tryout for the Yankees. He had a decision to make: would he go for the tryout or would he go in a different direction? This will be discussed later.

To his dying day, John kept a baseball glove and hat hanging next to the desk where he composed music. (See photo above) He loved baseball!


Billy Sunday

The most important day of his life….besides the day he married his wife, Ruth, was on January 16, 1926 at the age of 8. He made his decision for Jesus.

John came to faith in Jesus Christ at a Billy Sunday meeting. Billy Sunday had played professional baseball for the Chicago White Stockings (1883-1888) and the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia clubs (1888-1891) but now was an evangelist. His website gives a brief biography:

“From famous ball-player to famous evangelist, William Ashley "Billy" Sunday is still remembered today for his energetic preaching style and large, successful evangelistic campaigns across the United States. In his lifetime, Billy Sunday addressed over 100 million people without the aid of loud speakers, TV, or radio.

Sunday gained nationwide recognition for his prowess as a baseball player. He became the first player to run the bases in 14 seconds, and set records for stealing bases.

Shortly after being saved through the outreach of the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, Sunday turned down a $400 per month baseball salary (at a time when the average worker made $480 per year) for a $84 per month ministry position. Ball teams later offered $500/month and even $2000/month, but Sunday remained committed to his ministry for God. Later in life he was offered $1,000,000 to be in the movies, but again declined in order to continue the evangelistic ministry God had called him to. He passed away after a heart attack in 1935 at age 73.” http://billysunday.org/

In his own words John tells how he came to faith in Jesus Christ. This was recorded by the Children’s Bible Hour on December 18, 1943:

“One cold and snowy day in January I went with Mother and Dad to hear the great Billie Sunday preach in the large downtown tabernacle in Binghamton. New York. I sat just as close to the speaker as I possibly could so as not to miss a thing. That Sunday afternoon I listened to every word preached and, although I didn’t understand it all, I knew what Mr. Sunday was saying was true and was meant for me! Although just an eight-year-old boy, I realized I needed something that was lacking in my life and that something was somebody — the Lord Jesus Christ. By the faith of a young boy, I walked down the “sawdust trail” and shook hands with Mr. Sunday and told him I wanted Christ to come into my heart and life and be saved. We prayed a little prayer that has opened heaven to millions of boys and girls—“God be merciful to me a sinner and save me Now, for Jesus sake.” God heard and answered my prayer and that instant I was saved: I was God’s child because I had taken God at His Word and believed that Jesus died on Calvary’s cross to save even a boy like me and now had accepted Him into my heart as My Savior.”

On that cold, blustery Sunday afternoon in January when John was eight years old, he also recalls seeing for the first time three men who would become life-long friends and music associates. This is his account,

“Alfred H. Ackley known as A.H., sat to the right and accompanied Mr. Rodeheaver (Homer Rodeheaver, Billy Sunday’s song leader) as he played his trombone and sang. Alfred’s brother. Bentley D Ackley, or B.D. sat at the other piano. These two brothers wrote over 5500 hymns, many of which we sang today.”

So, Billy Sunday was not only instrumental in being the person who gave the invitation for salvation that John accepted, but it was through him that John same to know Homer Rodeheaver and the Ackley brothers.

Binghamton, New York

John Chester Hallett was born in Binghamton, New York, Wednesday, August 22, 1917 at 1:45 p.m. to John A. Hallett and Ethel E. Hallett.

He attended Binghamton school all of his life: Port Dickinson School, Port Dickinson Junior High School, and on June 27, 1937 graduated from Binghamton Central High School.

“I went to Binghamton Central High School, one of the few high schools offering a music course. Ray Hartley, known throughout the Triple Cities as a fine musician, taught the music course.. He took an interest in me and inspired me to write my own music. It was a privilege to take ear-training, harmony and composition during my high school years, a student of this great teacher.” John Hallett in an undated interview

He was also an active member of Calvary Baptist Church in Binghamton.