Death of “St. Louie” Louis Roberts Dec. 22, 1991.
The inventor of the leather cue tip was Francois Mingaud, who was born on Jan. 4, 1771, in Le Cailar, France. He was an infantry officer in Napoleon Bonapartes’ army.
Jerome Keogh, winner of five titles and the inventor of straight pool, dies at age 80 on January 12, 1953.
Jake Schaefer Jr. runs 480 balls in an 18.2 balkline billiards exhibition against Welker Cochran at Chicago, on Jan. 22, 1922.

Don Willis (May 1, 1909 – March 2, 1984) was the long-time road partner of the great Wimpy Lassiter. Willis participated in few tournaments, but rather earned his reputation as a gambling road player. You can read more about his partnership with Lassiter and their “Big Hoorah” hustle at the #poolhistory website, here.
Board March March 7, 1913, Masako Katsura was nicknamed “Katsy” and sometimes called the “First Lady of Billiards.” The Japanese carom billiards player who was most active in the 1950s. She died in 1995.
Ralph Greenleaf dies on March 15, 1950.

William Emmett Blankenship was born in Olden, Missouri, an unincorporated area north of West Plains, on April 6th, 1892. He won the world pool title on his first attempt in 1916. Blankenship was the first person to run over a hundred balls at Straight Pool and had a personal best high run of 287 balls during an exhibition in Jackson, Michigan.

Utley Puckett, better known to the pool world as hustler U.J. Puckett, was born in 1911 and died 81 years later, on June 22, 1992. In life he knew fame and fortune as a professional nine-ball and one-pocket champion alongside fellow sharks Jersey Red and Ronnie Allen. He was famous for his large brimmed white Stetson and his larger-than-life persona. In death U.J. Puckett is known to some as the ghost who haunts a Texas poolroom.
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