Seymour Medal Conference 2005 – A Hands-On Look at the Mears and Murdock Baseball Collections with Mary Ellen Kollar Mary Ellen Kollar

The foundation of the baseball collection at the Cleveland Public Library is comprised of two outstanding, formerly private collections. In 1944, the Library acquired the baseball collection of Cleveland advertising executive Charles W. Mears (1874-1942). Mears was a young contributing writer to the St. Louis Sporting News when he began a lifelong enthusiasm for baseball information and statistics. He amassed one of the largest baseball libraries in the country, and is recognized as the first baseball statistician. The Mears Collection contains the daily box scores for a period of approximately 40 years, as well as books on all phases of baseball. Included are long runs of annuals and periodicals (some dating from 1858), league constitutions, and baseball fiction.

In 1992, the Cleveland Public Library acquired the collection of Eugene C. Murdock (1921-1992), Ohio historian and professor at Marietta College. The Murdock Collection spans a later time period than the Mears Collection and includes minor league material, more biographies, annuals, and 50 scrapbooks covering the years 1910-1976. Oral history tapes of major league players recorded by Dr. Murdock are available for lending. Dr. Murdock authored several books and articles, including a biography of Ban Johnson.

After lunch, the conference reconvened at the Cleveland Public Library (main building) in the Treasure Room to view some of the treasures of these collections. Presenting the materials was Mary Ellen Kollar, the social sciences department manager at the Cleveland Public Library.