Ammon George Robert Barksdale Sr., 86, of Monmouth Junction passed away peacefully on November 14, 2020. Ammon was born and raised in Norristown, Pennsylvania and moved to Monmouth Junction in 1972 with his wife June.
While attending Norristown High School, he was a member of the Drama Club, Varsity Football, Basketball and Track and Field Teams. During his Junior and Senior years, he was selected to the All American High School Track team for high jump. Jumping a height of 6’4, he set a Pennsylvania state record which was the second highest in the country.
In 1953, Ammon entered Morgan State University on an athletic scholarship. During his freshman year, he was on the football, basketball and track teams. In fact, Ammon had the distinction of being one of the few Morganites to receive three varsity letters in one year. However, track was his specialty and a series of contests proved him to be one of the five best high jumpers in the world.
At Morgan, 'Barky' distinguished himself as a trailblazer in the high jump, earning recognition as a 'first class' high jumper to emerge from the school. His remarkable talent and dedication to the sport allowed him to set records that transcended local boundaries, garnering widespread acclaim.
Barky was an extraordinary athlete whose name remains etched in the annals of American sports history. Representing the United States abroad in the high jump, Barky captivated audiences with both unparalleled skill and unwavering determination. At one time during his career, he held every major track record on the East Coast including the Melrose Games, New York Athletic Club Meets, Pennsylvania Relay Games and the Mid-Atlantic Championships where he jumped 6-11 ¾ utilizing his “Barky Roll" style of jumping making Ammon the first person in the world to jump over the bar backwards. His achievements were not only a testament to his athletic prowess but also a source of pride for Morgan, as he put the institution on the map in the world of competitive athletics.
While attending Morgan, he became a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He graduated Morgan State in 1957 and in 1974, Ammon was inducted into their Hall of Fame.
Ammon did a tour of duty in the Armed Forces from 1959-1963, stationed in Korea as a morse code operator. In 1963, Ammon was one of ten individuals selected by the Skillsbank Program of the National Urban League to become the first black salesmen to work in major corporations throughout the United States. Joining Colgate Palmolive Company as a Sales Representative in the Philadelphia area, he was promoted to Area Sales Manager within the New York Metropolitan area in 1967. In 1972, he joined AH Robins Pharmaceutical Company as the Northeast Regional Sales Manager responsible for the sales force covering Maine to Virginia. In 1986, Ammon became the Corporate Sales Manager for Optyl Eyewear where he remained until retirement.
Once retired, he committed himself to the Morgan State University M Club as national fundraiser for eight years raising over $131,000. He was also an active member of Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church serving in many functions.
Barky worked as a district sales manager for A.H. Robins Pharmaceuticals, Miller Morton Division. He is a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce; Commissioner of Boy Scouts; Co-sponsor of the 22nd District Human Relations Council; Member of the Health and Welfare Council of Philadelphia, and the Frontiers International.
