Journal Article

Harriet Goodwill Spalding

Robbins, Keith Spalding

2021

Overview

Robbins asserts that the rise of women in leadership roles is one of the more inspiring stories in contemporary Major League Baseball. This paper focuses on the first of such women, baseball's pioneer leading lady, Harriet Irene Spalding. Her efforts were focused on fostering the rise of professional, organized baseball and the creation of the first national sporting goods firm, both officially beginning in 1876. Much of Harriet's story can be found in her self- published memoir of 1910, Reminiscences: An Autobiography of Harriet Irene Spalding. As Queen Victoria guided the realm of the British Empire, in the former colonies' realm of baseball, widowed Harriet Goodwill Spalding was its matriarch. As a Victorian age woman Harriet successfully negotiated many of the issues facing modern single mothers. Her devotion and exemplary leadership are recorded in the Spalding Memorial Genealogy of 1897 which states: widowed mother with constant devotion, wonderful strength of character and inspiring heroism filled the place of both father and mother to the little children left to her care.

• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Subject: Anniversaries / Entrepreneurs / Family owned businesses / Leadership / Professional baseball / Spaulding, Harriet Irene / Women