The Spalding Memorial was published in 1896 by Charles Warren Spalding, in dedication to the numerous family members whose names are Spalding, also spelled Spaulding. An earlier version, of the Spalding Memorial was published by Samuel Spalding in 1872. The following material is taken directly from the Spalding Memorial (1896), recently republished in 1996.
Albert Goodwill Spalding was b. Sept. 2, 1850, at Byron, Ogle Co., Ill.; m. Sarah-Josephine Keith, Nov. 18, 1875; she was the daughter of Henry-Snell Keith and Sarah Howard (Manley) Keith, of West Bridgewater, Mass.; she was b. May 5, 1851; res. Chicago, Ill.
The name of Albert-G. Spalding is well-known throughout the civilized world as the American "baseball magnate," and for many years he has been the very head and front of the national pastime, guiding it from comparative obscurity to universal popularity.
It is rare for a man to make a decided success of life in two different directions; still more so when the chosen lines are so widely diverging as to stand in the relation of pleasure to business — playing baseball and building up a vast mercantile house. Albert-G. Spalding has achieved success, positive, and world-wide renown in these two fields — an achievement sufficiently remarkable to entitle him to something more than a passing notice in a book devoted to the genealogy and general history of his family.
We have seen that the early Spaldings showed great prowess in arms, bearing out the old Saxon significance of the name, in their physical strength and stalwart frames, and in this tenth generation the genius of the family is exemplified to the greatest degree of excellence in Albert-G. Spalding. Born of a line of ancestors of sterling worth, assured integrity and correct living, both on his father's and mother's side, we are not surprised to find him, as a mere lad, possessing health, energy and ability combined with a great love for out-door sports. The first twelve years of his life were passed in the small village of Byron, Illinois, and being thus practically a country product, he is another reminder of how large a proportion of our eminent and successful city men are drawn from the rural districts. His father died when he was but eight years old; however, the boy never realized the extent of his loss, for the 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.
He was carefully trained in the modest schools of his native town, and thanks to his love for athletics was a well-grown, sturdy lad when his mother removed to the city of Rockford, Illinois, in 1863. There with better advantages he continued his studies, finishing them at the age of sixteen, with a course in the local Commercial College.
To make a complete success of this life one must be prepared to enjoy its pleasures, as well as to combat the difficulties; and in this regard, young Spalding, like most boys, was admirably equipped. The game of baseball — essentially an American pastime — originated in his youth and found in him an ardent devotee; indeed, while yet a mere lad he developed great ability in playing the then only half-formed game, and became favorably known to all the baseball enthusiasts of his section.
Healthful and invigorating sport, so far from being incompatible with, is a positive complement and a necessary adjunct of, mental activity in youth. Baseball evolved from the town-ball of our grandfathers, by the sport-loving students of American Colleges, reflects lasting credit upon its inventors and improvers. It has hardened the muscles, developed the chests and stimulated the brains of almost no end of puny students; has combined with text books and teachers, in fact, to turn out successful professional and business men. Without being the originator of the National game, no one has done more to perfect, to popularize, and to dignify baseball, than A. G. Spalding. Hence his name is a familiar and honored one to all boys, and those who were once boys, and who have not grown so old or so worldly as to have forgotten the circumstance.
The foundation of Mr. Spalding's life, upon which he has reared a superstructure of substantial business success, was begun in play. His first business position was as clerk in a retail grocery store in Rockford, Ill., at a salary of five dollars per week. While in this position he managed to find time to continue his connection with the Forest City Baseball Club of Rockford, which was considered the leading ball club of the West. The unexpected victory of the Rockford Club over the celebrated National Club of Washington, in 1867, (which then ranked as the champion club of the United States, and which was the first Eastern club to make an extended tour through the West,) gave young Spalding such a national reputation as a pitcher that attractive positions were offered him in Washington, Cleveland, New York and other Eastern cities, and at salaries ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 per year; and all of this before he was seventeen years of age. The sudden raise of salary from a five-dollar per week clerkship to $2,500 per year was well calculated to turn the head of a seventeen-year-old boy. His widowed mother and his sister strongly opposed his accepting any of these flattering offers, which contemplated very much ball playing and very little business experience, and it finally resulted in his accepting a position as bookkeeper in a wholesale grocery store in Chicago in September, 1867. Financial disaster overtook this firm the following winter. Mr. Spalding immediately connected himself with an insurance company in Chicago, which also failed a few months later. On account of these failures and home influence he was induced to return to Rockford and accept the treble position of cashier in a newspaper office, bookkeeper in an adjoining insurance agent's office, and pitcher of the Forest City Baseball Club, all of which yielded him an income of about $2,000 a year. He remained in these positions until the winter of 1871, during which time all of these concerns practically failed. The failure of every business concern with which he had become connected had so discouraged as well as mortified young Spalding, that he finally decided to go with the fates rather than against them, and do that towards which his inclination led him, and accepted a position as pitcher for the first professional Boston Baseball Club at a salary of $2,500 per year. In the winter of 1871 or 1872 he accepted a clerical position on the "New York Daily Graphic," which afterwards failed; the following winter he took a position in a prominent insurance office in Boston, which failed before Spring. In his efforts to follow the advice of his friends and to learn more business and less baseball, he had within five years been in the employ of seven prominent business concerns, all of which had failed during his connection with them.
To prepare for the responsibility of manhood, one must faithfully perform the duties of youth; to rise in the world, one must make good his present position and qualify himself for advancement. A. G. Spalding early realized the force of this time borrowed proposition, and always, under all circumstances, did his very best. To this habit, which has been the rule of his life, he owes his many signal successes, and the same could have made him a winner in any profession or business upon which he might have entered. In both a literal and figurative sense, he "played ball." A defeat did not dishearten him nor a victory "puff him up." He never willingly aroused the jealousy either of his comrades or opponents, and thus made no enemies and hosts of friends.
For years Mr. Spalding entertained the idea that "the great American game" might be introduced and popularized in foreign countries; and, as a result of his enthusiasm and arguments, early in 1874 be visited England and made arrangements for a tour of the Boston and Philadelphia Clubs. Returning in April, he re-crossed the Ocean with the party in July following, acting as assistant to the Business Manager of the enterprise, the late Harry Wright. The visitors were royally received and made a successful tour of the principal cities of England and Ireland. From 1871 to 1875 Mr. Spalding was the only pitcher in the Boston Club and the Captain of the Nine, and had come to be regarded as one of the most skillful players in the United States. His reputation was augmented by the circumstance that during that time his Club was constant winner of the National championship.
In 1875 the Chicago Club wished to strengthen their organization, and opened negotiations to secure A. G. Spalding; the result of which he became, in 1876, the manager, captain and pitcher of the Chicago Club. That year this Club became the winner of the League championship, under his efficient management, in the initial year of the now celebrated National League.
To secure a good position in any walk of life is a difficult task, to hold it often a harder one. For twenty-five years, which ended with the season of 1891, Mr. Spalding was actively connected with the game, and during all of that time he was in the service of but three organizations — the Forest City of Rockford, the Boston and the Chicago Clubs, with the latter of which he served fifteen years as Captain, Manager, Secretary, and finally President.
In connection with William-A. Hulbert, Mr. Spalding was largely instrumental in organizing the present National League, which is the recognized governing body of baseball throughout the world. Upon the death of Mr. Hulbert, early in 1882, he became President of the Chicago Club, a position he continued to fill until April, 1891, when on account of the demands of his rapidly growing business, he gave up active connections with the game which he had done so much to build up.
In 1888 Mr. Spalding carried into effect a long-considered plan of his which did more to popularize baseball, both at home and abroad, than anything before attempted. This was making a grand tour of the World with two representative baseball teams. These were organized under the name of the "Chicago and All American Baseball Teams." The first game of this organization, destined to become so famous, was played at Chicago, October 20, 1888, upon which day the party departed upon their long journey, going westward by way of San Francisco. This tour marked an era in the history of manly sports, serving as it did to introduce the American National game on five continents and in fourteen different countries of the World. Intent as mankind is upon the prosecution of business and the accumulation of wealth, athletic sports always touch a responsive chord in the universal human breast, and the pastimes of a nation furnish a good index to the real character of its people. In this way, thanks to the enterprise of A. G. Spalding, who assumed. the expense of some fifty thousand dollars in the undertaking, millions of people acquired a knowledge of America and Americans and developed an interest in a country, little known to many of them before. In this way Mr. Spalding did more than any American who had preceded him to familiarize the name of Chicago with the people of distant lands, and he thus became the first foreign Apostle of the great World's Fair.
The party, which included thirty-five people, embarked at San Francisco for Australia on November 19, 1888, stopping on the way at the Sandwich Islands, Samoa, and New Zealand. Their reception in Australia surpassed all their expectations, and they played to large throngs in all the principal cities of the Continent. Leaving Australia, the party played in Ceylon, and in Egypt, giving an exhibition of their skill beneath the shadow of the Pyramids. They played in Naples, Florence, Rome, Nice, Monte Carlo, and other cities of Southern Europe, before large audiences. After a brilliant reception at Paris they crossed the English channel, and entertained hosts of people of their own blood in Great Britain.
They were everywhere royally received — and that in a literal sense. In Honolulu they were given a grand reception in the Royal Palace by King Kalakaua and banqueted on the grounds of the Queen's Palace. In Australia they were honored by twenty-eight banquets and public receptions, and this during a stay of only twenty-four days. Their games were personally witnessed and applauded by King Humbert of Italy, the Prince of Naples, the Khedive of Egypt, President Carnot of France, the Prince of Wales and large numbers of the nobility. This tour of the world, which occupied six months, attracted almost as much attention at home as abroad, and will go down in history as the most gigantic undertaking and remarkable tour ever made in the interest of any sport. The party was accompanied by four correspondents, representing nearly fifty American newspapers; and the people of this country manifested a lively interest in the triumphant progress of the Athletic Tourists.
As already indicated, the life of Mr. Spalding has not been all play, even of an earnest variety. He realized that the love of sport is deeply imbedded in the American character, and early conceived the idea of turning it to his own pecuniary advantage. In 1876, soon after his coming to Chicago, in conjunction with his brother, J.-Walter Spalding, he established in a small way a business in Chicago, which served as the nucleus around which the immense house of A.-G. Spalding & Brothers was built. They began operations on an original capital of eight hundred dollars, and with this motto pasted on their only desk: "Everything is possible to him who dares." Such was the success of this new venture that at the close of the season of 1877 the head of the firm retired from active work on the "diamond," though until 1891 he acted as Secretary and later as President of the Chicago Club, always a leading member of the National League.
Before his retirement from the baseball field he manifested that energy which furnishes the only assurance of success in life. When his club was playing in Chicago he would leave the ground after a hard-fought game, and work, often until midnight, in his office — thus laying the foundation for as great a success of business as of baseball. In 1879 William-T. Brown, the brother-in-law of the Spaldings, became identified with the firm, which has since been known as A. G. Spalding & Brothers.
In 1885 the house of A. G. Spalding & Brothers, which is now a corporation with a paid-up capital of three million dollars, established a branch house in New York City, which is under the management of J.-Walter Spalding. In 1891 they established a branch house in the city of Philadelphia. In addition to managing this vast mercantile business, Mr. Spalding is the managing power in some ten large factories located in different parts of the country, where are manufactured vast quantities of athletic goods; such as uniforms and clothing for sportsmen's wear, baseballs, tennis balls, athletic suits of all kinds, bicycles, boats, fishing tackles, sporting shoes, and an endless variety of gymnasium outfits, etc. All told there are fourteen different branches to the immense business, the whole under the personal direction and government of A. G. Spalding, President of A. G. Spalding & Brothers, which corporation owns and directs these various branches. Mr. Spalding is also President of the Spalding Manufacturing Co., of Chicago; President of Lamb Manufacturing Co., of Chicopee Falls, Mass., makers of the Spalding Bicycle, and President of the Spalding St. Lawrence Boat Co., of Ogdensburg, N. Y. He is a director in the Royal Trust Co., of Chicago. At the Grand Annual Meeting in New York, in January, 1895, he was unanimously elected President of the National Board of Trade of Cycle Manufacturers, which is composed of all the prominent manufacturers of bicycles in America, representing a total invested capital of over $100,000,000. The rapid growth of this organization and the high position it occupies among the leading industrial boards of trade of the United States is largely due to his management, and serves as another evidence of his genius as an organizer and manager of large enterprises.
At the present writing (1896) he is an extensive owner of real estate. He has ever been a firm believer in the future of Chicago, and owns, just south of the city, an immense subdivision of over nine hundred acres. He owns a handsome Chicago residence on Woodlawn Ave., and a beautiful country place, with seventy-five acres of grounds, at Seabright, N. J.
Although over forty-five years of age, A. G. Spalding is in the prime of life and of physical and mental strength. He is a powerfully built man, six feet and two inches in height, and shows in his bearing the effects of early athletic sports. Socially he has been as successful as in business. He has many friends and acquaintances, and is universally highly regarded. He is a member of many clubs, including the Chicago Club, Union League Club of Chicago, Washington Park Club, Kenwood Club, Chicago Athletic Club, and Engineer's and Hardware Clubs of New York.
Mr. Henry Chadwick, the venerable American baseball writer, through whose instrumentality Mr. Spalding became a member of the Boston Club in 1871, and, who has known him almost from boyhood, recently wrote as follows: "Mr. Spalding's whole career, from the beginning of his baseball success in 1867, to that of his leadership of a great business house in 1896, stands forth as a shining example of what high integrity of character, good business capacity and true American pluck, energy and enterprise can accomplish in our great Republic."
Albert Goodwill Spalding had one son, Keith, b. Oct. 7, 1877, at Chicago, Ill. He entered the Hill Preparatory School, at Pottstown, Pa., in 1893. In 1896 studied music and the languages in Florence, Italy, and Paris. Entered Yale College in 1897.
Copyright © 1997-2006. All rights reserved.
