Edith G. Houghton collection

Collection — Container: Single Folder Collections - 2004 Box 8 (04.0264-04.0310), Folder: 04.0292

Identifier: 04.0292

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to storekeeper first class Edith Houghton who served in the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and was a baseball player. This collection contains an interview transcript of Houghton and newspaper clippings related to her baseball tour in Japan in the 1920s.

Dates

November 17, 2004
Event: 1925-1972

Creator

Sinco, Holly (Interviewer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Biographical / Historical

Storekeeper First Class Edith G. Houghton was born on February 10th, 1912. She was the first, and at her death remained the only, female full-time Major League Baseball (MLB) scout. Raised in Philadelphia as part of a large family, her athletic talent was recognized early and at 10 was drawing praise as a shortstop for the Philadelphia Bobbies, a team in the Bloomer Girls League. Edith toured Japan with the team in 1925, later played for the Hollywood Girls and the New York Bloomer Girls, finished high school. During World War II, Houghton joined the Navy WAVES. Trained as a Storekeeper (SK), she played baseball on Navy teams then after the conflict remained in the Navy Reserve while working in a Philadelphia hardware store. One day in 1945 she walked into the office of Philadelphia Phillies' president Robert Carpenter's and announced that she wanted to scout for the team. Impressed with her knowledge of the game, he hired her as the first solo female MLB scout. Remaining with the Phillies thru 1951, Houghton signed 16 players, though none reached the Majors. She was recalled to active duty in 1951, she stayed in the Navy until her 1968 retirement as a Chief Storekeeper (SKC). She passed away on February 2, 2013 at the age of 100. She is buried at Northwood Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Source: www.findagrave.com/memorial/105305659/edith-grace-houghton

Extent

1 folders (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Custodial History

Transferred from the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives in July 2022.

Subjects

Baseball. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Bloomington (Ind.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Bradenton (Fla.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Jacksonville (Fla.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Japan Subject Source: Lcnaf
Naval stores Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
New York (City) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (Philadelphia, Pa.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Saint Albans (New York, N.Y.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Softball Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
United States -- Armed Forces -- Women's reserves Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
United States. Naval Reserve. Women's Reserve
United States. Navy Department. Bureau of Supplies and Accounts
World War, 1939-1945 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945 -- Europe -- End Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--United States Subject Source: Local sources
World War, 1939-1945--Women Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings