Dayhoff Soundtrack: BASEBALL AND THE PRESIDENCY

Monday, March 29, 2010

BASEBALL AND THE PRESIDENCY

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library presents:
BASEBALL AND THE PRESIDENCY
A Multimedia Presentation by Mel Marmer
April 11, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.

HYDE PARK, NY -- The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is pleased to present BASEBALL AND THE PRESIDENCY, a multimedia presentation by Mel Marmer tracing the relationship between America's highest office and America's favorite pastime -- from President Harrison to President Obama. The program will take place at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Center on Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. This presentation is free and open to the public.

Which U.S. President delivered the most ceremonial first pitches in Washington, D.C.? Who was the first President to throw a first pitch at a Major League Baseball All Star Game? Mr. Marmer's presentation answers these questions and explores the special relationship between the Presidency and baseball from the mid-Nineteenth century to the present day.

Program attendees will receive a packet of reference materials including a copy of FDR's famous "Green Light Letter" from the Roosevelt Library archives. In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack and America's entry into World War II, Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis grew concerned about the propriety of proceeding with the 1942 baseball season. President Roosevelt promptly responded to Judge Landis' inquiry with what has become known as the "Green Light Letter" -- giving baseball the green light to proceed and expressing the value of baseball in time of war. The signed copy of Roosevelt's Green Light Letter received by Judge Landis now resides at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

MEL MARMER is a retired Cincinnati tax attorney and baseball historian who has delivered over 40 baseball presentations in the last three years. He has presented BASEBALL AND THE PRESIDENCY at the Eisenhower, Ford and Truman Presidential Libraries; the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center; the William H. Taft National Historic Site and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. He lives with his wife Cynthia in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Please contact Cliff Laube at (845) 486-7745 or email clifford.laube@nara.gov with questions about the event.

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to preserving historical material and providing innovative educational programs, community events, and public outreach. It is one of thirteen presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. For information about the FDR Presidential Library call (800) 337-8474 or visit www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu.

Historic Hyde Park is a group of government and private non-profit organizations based in Hyde Park, New York. Each has a unique mission, but all are united in their dedication to extending the legacy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt to new generations. HHP includes the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill, the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. For more information about HHP visit www.HistoricHydePark.org.

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