Edith Houghton
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
Died | February 2, 2013 Sarasota, Florida | (aged 100)
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Sport | |
Country | United States |
Sport | Baseball |
Team | Philadelphia Bobbies, Hollywood Girls, New York Bloomer Girls |
Updated on 13 April 2016. |
Edith Grace Houghton (February 10, 1912 – February 2, 2013) was an
Early life
Houghton was a native of the North Philadelphia neighborhood. Around 1917, Edith moved with her parents and nine older brothers and sisters to their brand-new house at 25th and Diamond Streets. Directly across Diamond Street, there was a large park with a baseball diamond. When the field was free, the kids in the neighborhood would start a game of baseball. The first position Edith played was shortstop. Her father, William L. Houghton, distributed goods for a large grocery company. He was also a skilled baseball player who taught his youngest daughter many techniques. As young as age six, Edith posed for photos in a baseball uniform. By the time she was eight, she dressed as the mascot for the Philadelphia police's baseball team. Family, friends, and fans dubbed Edith “The Kid.”[3]
Too young to join a factory team, in 1922 the ten-year-old Edith tried out for the Philadelphia
In 1925, she and the team travelled to Japan to play baseball against men; Houghton was then 13 years old.[6][1] On September 23, 1925, they boarded a train at the North Broad Street Station, several blocks from Edith's house. Twelve Bobbies, their coach, and two men (to play pitcher and catcher) played eight games on their way to Seattle, en route to Yokohama. Once in Japan, they drew large crowds, especially at first. Edith impressed many Japanese reporters. Although they were contracted to play 15 games for $800, their finances fell through midway through the trip. Half the team headed to Formosa and back to the United States. The other half, including Edith, stayed in Kobe and luckily found a contributor to fund their trip home by December.[7]
Education
Houghton briefly attended the new
Career
Edith went on to play for semi-pro baseball teams until she started softball in the 1930s. At that point women were pushed out of baseball into softball. Houghton later played with other women's pro teams such as the Hollywood Girls and the New York Bloomer Girls. In 1942, during World War II, she volunteered for the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services). Although nominally a clerk, she was accepted into the department's baseball team.[2][8][9] The Navy newsletter wrote that "enlisted WAVE Houghton... can make any ball team in the country."[10] During her service, she was assigned to the procurement of WAVES and Navy Nurse clothing for the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts in Washington D.C.[11] Houghton eventually became chief storekeeper. In December 1944, Houghton's unit was transferred to New York. In 1945, Houghton was discharged from the WAVES but was recruited again and became the Chief Master of Arms.
After the war, she took her skills to a new level. She approached Phillies’ owner R. R. M. Carpenter Jr. in 1946 asking for an interview, then met with Carpenter and general manager Herb Pennock. Soon the Phillies made national news: they hired Houghton as Major League Baseball's first female scout.[1] From 1946 to 1952, she scouted players and signed fifteen to contracts, mostly from Philadelphia-area high schools.[2][12]
External videos | |
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“Female Baseball Scout Turns 100”, SNN6 |
She left the team in 1952 and rejoined the Navy, where she served during the
In 1964, Houghton left Philadelphia and moved to Sarasota, Florida, where she lived until her death on February 2, 2013, eight days before her 101st birthday.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Clark, Vernon (February 12, 2013). "Edith G. Houghton, 100, pro baseball's first female scout". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Vitello, Paul (2013-02-15). "Edith Houghton, Rare Woman Among Baseball Scouts, Dies at 100". The New York Times. p. D8. Retrieved 2013-02-17.
- ^ Fernandes, Doug (February 12, 2013). "Houghton, first female scout, dies". HeraldTribune.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ Fernandes, Doug (February 10, 2012). "First female baseball scout Edith Houghton celebrates her 100th birthday in Sarasota". HeraldTribune.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ "Item: Photographs of Edith Houghton". Historical Society of Pennsylvania Digital Archive. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ a b Fitzpatrick, Frank. "For a young girl, the trip of her life In 1925, Edith Houghton journeyed to Japan to play baseball against men". philly-archives. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ a b "PhilaPlace - Baseball Legend Edith Houghton — Her Home at 25th and Diamond Streets". www.philaplace.org. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ a b "Edith Grace Houghton Obituary". Herald Tribune. February 8, 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-933599-25-0. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
- ISBN 9780816045655. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
- ^ Edith Houghton Oral History, November 17, 2004, Houghton, Edith G., collection. The Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. https://archives.lib.fsu.edu/repositories/6/resources/1766 Archived 2022-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Landers, Chris (July 22, 2015). "Four remarkable women from baseball history that everyone should know about". Cut 4. Retrieved 19 April 2016.