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Unbound. Partially printed score card. One card leaf folded to make four pages. Neatly scored in pencil. A little age-toning, still about fine. The scorecard, with pre-printed lineups, features William Clarence Matthews, one of the earliest and most prominent African-American college baseball players, batting fifth and playing shortstop. The score card reveals that then-junior Matthews went two-for-four, walked, stole a base, and scored a run in Harvard's 5-0 victory over Amherst.
Matthews, from Selma, Alabama, attended Tuskegee Institute, graduated from Philips Andover Academy, and enrolled at Harvard in 1901. Harvard was forced to adjust their schedule in his sophomore year when several southern colleges threatened to boycott games if Matthews played. He starred all four years at Harvard, hitting over .400 and stealing 22 bases in 25 games his senior year.
Player-manager Fred Tenney tried to sign Matthews, the acknowledged star of the Harvard team, to play for the Boston National team, but after four days of protests and threats of boycotts by Southern players, he dropped the effort. *The Atlanta Journal*, referring to Matthews as a "human chocolate drop," opined he "may be good enough for Harvard... but he isn't good enough for us." Matthews did play a single professional season in the Northern League, but similar threats lead him to abandon the sport and attend law school, first at Harvard and then graduating from Boston University. After practicing privately, Theodore Roosevelt appointed him to the District Attorney's office in Boston. After WWI, he served as counsel to Marcus Garvey, and eventually was appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney General after providing valuable assistance to Calvin Coolidge in getting out the black vote. Since 2006, the winner of the Ivy League conference title has been awarded the William Clarence Matthews Trophy.
A tangible artifact of a baseball player who is retrospectively considered the Jackie Robinson of his day for challenging the color barrier.
Item #440395
