James Reid Stoner

Jim Stoner was born in Rushsylvania, Ohio a small town of 450 people, where he learned early-on, the lessons gleaned from a huge extended family. Jim is an actor, playwright, director, television director, screenwriter and community volunteer. He and his wife of ten years are very active in the local community theater troupe, and particularly involved in portraying living history characters. Jim and Amy K. each boast a large portfolio of characters whom they have researched, write the scripts and accurately portray in the first person. Jim is best known as a football historian who has celebrated the career and life experiences of Charles Follis, "The Black Cyclone". He wrote, produced and directed the play, chronicling Charles' important role in desegregating sports in America, as well as the "enablers" who refused to allow color to define people, particularly in the late 19th century in the shadow of the civil war. His devotion to this story has significantly impacted awareness of Charles' who became "the first, Black professional football player in America" in 1902, but sadly passed away in 1910 of pneumonia while playing baseball in the "Negro Leagues" of American Baseball. Jim and Amy's efforts and connections have caused the State of Ohio to recognize February 3rd as "Charles Follis Day, the building of a new monument and headstone in his hometown of Wooster, Ohio, and the establishment of "The Black Cyclone Trail", an historical driving tour following Charles' path from Wooster to Shelby. After presenting "The Black Cyclone" in a variety of venues, and getting national attention form NFL Films, and Time Warner (now Spectrum) Cable Television, Jim formed Stonewal Productions, LLC, with his partner Peter Waldman. They worked together to adapt the screenplay for "The Black Cyclone" which is a film now in development. Jim graduated form Ben Logan High School and The Ohio State University with a BA in English where he was a very active in the Music College with the OSU Men's Glee Club, and OSU "Scarlet and Gray Show", particularly. He and Amy reside in Knox County, Ohio on their small farm. Jim continues to write historical pieces, and is the father of three grown children, Jameson, Jacob (US Airforce) and Jessica.