The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who, both on and off the field, best exemplifies the character and integrity of Lou Gehrig. The award was created by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity in honor of Gehrig, who was a member of the fraternity at Columbia University, and was first presented in 1955. It's purpose is to recognize a player's exemplary contributions in "both his community and philanthropy." It is the only MLB award that is bestowed by a fraternity.
Twenty-three winners of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The inaugural winner was Alvin Dark. The bestowal of the award is overseen by the headquarters of the Phi Delta Theta in Oxford, Ohio and the name of each winner has been placed on the Lou Gehrig Award plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Winners of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award have undertaken a variety of different causes. Many winners, including Derek Jeter and Rick Sutcliffe, worked with children in need. Jeter assisted children and teenagers in avoiding drug and alcohol addiction through his Turn 2 Foundation, while Sutcliffe visited disabled children in hospitals and bestowed college scholarships to underprivileged juveniles through his foundation.
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