Four 20th Century Legends to Host 1999 Rose Parade.

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 1998--

Shirley Temple Black, Buzz Aldrin, Jackie Robinson and David

Wolper to Lead 110th Rose Parade Themed Echoes of the Century

Four grand marshals will represent the 20th century and lead the 110th Rose Parade on New Year's Day, 1999. Actress/diplomat Shirley Temple Black, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, sports legend Jackie Robinson (posthumously through his lifelong friend, Ray Bartlett) and film producer/documentarian David Wolper will be the first quadruple Grand Marshals in Rose Parade history, announced Tournament of Roses President Dick E. Ratliff.

"I chose these four grand marshals because they epitomize our Parade theme, Echoes of the Century. They are significant contributors to the 20th century and American history," said Ratliff. "We look to the 1999 Rose Parade as America's New Year celebration and a celebration of the century."

Shirley Temple Black

Widely known as the little girl who stole America's heart in movies and on television, and as the diplomat who served her nation with distinction in international relations, Shirley Temple Black is serving as Grand Marshal for the third time.

She debuted in motion pictures at the age of three and rapidly became the biggest box office attraction in the world. During her illustrious career, she starred in 42 feature films and 50 television productions as actress, dancer and singer.

In 1969, she began a new career in government service, appointed by President Nixon as U.S. Delegate to the United Nations 24th General Assembly. She then served with the White House Council for Environmental Quality, delegations to the U.N. Conference on the Human Environment in Sweden and the US-USSR Treaty on the Environment in Moscow.

President Ford appointed her Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana, followed by her selection as the first woman U.S. Chief of Protocol. For eight years, she co-chaired the Ambassadorial Seminars at the State Department, earning distinction as Honorary Foreign Service Officer. Under President Bush, she became Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, where she experienced communism, revolution and Czechoslovakia's division into two nations.

Shirley Temple Black is the only Grand Marshal in Tournament of Roses history to have hosted America's New Year celebration as both a child and an adult. She led the 50th Rose Parade in 1939 and the centennial celebration of the Rose Parade in 1989.

Buzz Aldrin

More than a billion people around the world were glued to their television sets in 1969 as Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong took man's first steps on the moon. That moment is arguably one of the most significant events in world history and has made Buzz Aldrin's name synonymous with space travel.

He graduated third in his class from West Point and earned a Ph.D. in astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Flight techniques he devised have been used on all NASA missions, including the first space docking with the Russian cosmonauts.

Buzz Aldrin has enjoyed a prestigious astronautical career. In 1966, he established a new record for Extra-Vehicular Activity in space on the Gemini XII orbital flight mission and was backup command module pilot for Apollo VIII, man's first flight around the moon. Upon his return from the moon, he has been presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom and has received 50 other distinguished awards and medals from around the world.

After his retirement from NASA, the Air Force and as commander of the Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, he has maintained his pursuit to ensure the U.S.'s preeminent role in manned space exploration. An accomplished lecturer and writer, Buzz Aldrin has written a novel, his autobiography and a documentary.

Jackie Robinson

A native of Pasadena, Jackie Robinson's legacy continues 25 years after his death. For the first time, the Tournament of Roses has named a grand marshal, posthumously. At the suggestion of Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson, his lifelong friend Ray Bartlett will fulfill his duties as 1999 Grand Marshal.

An extraordinary athlete from a young age, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson attended UCLA where he lettered in football, baseball, basketball and track. After serving in the army and playing in the American Negro League, he broke years of racial discrimination in baseball when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first African-American to play in the Major Leagues.

Jackie Robinson was named Rookie of the Year during his first season with the Dodgers and was awarded the Most Valuable Player Award of the National League two years later. After leading the Dodgers to six pennants and one World Series, he retired from baseball in 1957. Five years later, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

A civil rights advocate, he was involved with the NAACP, served as special assistant of community affairs under Governor Roosevelt, served on the Board of Managers of the Harlem YMCA, and was involved in numerous church groups and community organizations.

Jackie Robinson died in 1972, but his inspiration lives on through the Jackie Robinson Foundation, founded and chaired by his wife. The foundation grants scholarships to students of demonstrated ability, character and need.

David Wolper

David L. Wolper is one of the best known film producers and documentarians in the entertainment industry. He has produced more than 500 films, including major motion pictures, television mini-series and special productions. His artistry has touched millions of people around the world.

Perhaps best known for his television work, he produced the critically acclaimed 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games' opening and closing ceremonies, the award-winning Roots and The Thorn Birds mini-series and the Jacques Cousteau and National Geographic documentaries. In addition, he has brought five Pulitzer Prize winning books to the small screen: William Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Theodore H. White's The Making of the President 1960, Carl Sandburg's Lincoln, John F. Kennedy's A Nation of Immigrants and Alex Haley's Roots.

David L. Wolper's influence is felt on the silver screen as well with such well-known titles as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, last year's Oscar-winning film, L.A. Confidential and the Academy Award-winning documentary, The Hellstrom Chronicle. In addition to his two Oscars, he has also won eight Golden Globes, 50 Emmys and 5 Peabodys. He holds the French Legion of Honor, France's highest civilian honor.

Currently, David L. Wolper is producing two ten-hour documentary series, Celebrate the Century, that will air on CNN in 1999, and Legends, Icons and Superstars of the 20th Century, to be shown on CBS Eye on People network in 1999.

The 110th Rose Parade and 85th Rose Bowl Game will take place on Friday, Jan. 1, 1999. For additional information on Tournament of Roses activities, please call (626) 449-ROSE, the 24-hour information hotline.