Today we say happy birthday to Lawrenceville's own Ezzard Charles, ranked by The Ring magazine as the greatest light heavyweight of all time. Born this day in 1921, he was delivered by Dr. Webster Ezzard, one of Lawrenceville's preeminent citizens of the time, and for whom he is named. If you've ever cruised the Lawrenceville square, the Ezzard name might be familiar.
The Ezzard Building on the corner by the courthouse was once a drugstore soda fountain run by Dr. Ezzard and his family.
Ezzard Charles was at one point the world heavyweight champ, defeating the likes of the great Joe Louis. He was close friends with Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali, his one time neighbor on 85th Street in Chicago. Due to financial straits, Charles continued fighting after his prime. He lost 13 of his final 23 fights, and still retired with a record of 95-25-1. He was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in 1968 and passed away May 28, 1975 in Chicago.
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Keep it classy, Gwinnett. This is not a political forum, nor is it place for intolerance or crude behavior of any sort. We are all in this together, so just enjoy the ride.