David Q. Voigt Collection
By Amanda Walck
Historical/Biographical Note
David Quentin Voigt was born August 9, 1926 in Reading, PA to Albright Professor of English, H. William Voigt ( -1937) and Ethel H. (Osmond) Voigt, Professor of Home Economics and Dean of Women at Albright College. He is still living in Reading and continuing his work on baseball.
Voigt’s education consisted of the 13th Street Schools until his father passed away in 1937. He then attended the Hershey Industrial School (Milton S. Hershey School for Boys). After leaving the Milton Hershey School, Voigt served in World War II and used the GI Bill to assist him with college. He entered Albright College in 1944 and graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science in History. While at Albright College, he was a member of the following organizations: Pi Tau Beta Fraternity, where he served as Vice President, Student Council, International Relations Club, where he served as Vice President, Pi Gamma Mu Social Studies Honors Society, Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, Veteran’s Club, The Cue, where he served as Sports Editor and The Albrightian, where he served as Sports Editor. It was noted how involved he was in sports and his literary talents in the senior yearbook. After graduation, Voigt attended Columbia University in New York and graduated with a Masters Degree in History in 1956. He then attended and graduated from Syracuse University with a Doctorate in Social Sciences in 1961. His dissertation was entitled “Cash and Glory: The Commercialization of Major League Baseball as a Sport Spectacular”. He was presented with an honorary Degree from Albright College during his time as a professor.
While a student at Albright College, Voigt was employed as a free-lance sports reporter for the Reading Eagle from 1947 to 1950. While attending Columbia University for his Masters, he was employed as a teacher at Manhasset High School in Long Island, New York. After receiving his Masters, he was employed at Millersville State Teachers College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he served as an Associate Professor of Social Studies from 1956 to 1957. He left Millersville for a year to serve as an instructor to the 9011th Air Reserve Squadron under the Air Force Management Office. He returned to Millersville in 1958 and taught History and Sociology. In 1963, he was employed by Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio as a Professor of Sociology and the Chairman of the Sociology and Anthropology Department. In the Fall of 1964, he began teaching at Albright College in the Sociology Department. Prior to 1964, his love and passion for writing about baseball increased and he wrote several journal articles relating to the history of baseball and the sociological aspects of baseball. In 1966, he became a published author when his book American Baseball: From Gentleman’s Sport to the Commissioner System was published. In 1970, the follow up, American Baseball: From the Commissioners to Continental Expansion was published.
David Voigt continued his writing on baseball, publishing America Through Baseball in 1976, American Baseball: From Postwar Expansion to the Electronic Age in 1983 and, Baseball: An Illustrated History in 1987. These publications are coupled with over 100 articles and book reviews that he has completed on the subject. In 1988, he was appointed to the Commissioner’s Committee on Statistical Accuracy and he served as a consultant to Ken Burns on his nine-part PBS documentary Baseball in 1994. In 1995, he retired from full time teaching at Albright College and was awarded Emeritus Professor status in Sociology and Anthropology.
David Q. Voigt currently resides in Cumru Township with his wife, Virginia B. (Erb) Voigt, whom he married in 1951. The couple has two sons who are avid baseball players like their father. David is still writing books and journal articles on baseball and is an active member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Reporting). He served as SABR’s President from 1974 to 1975. He is considered one of their most important members and was awarded with a members spotlight award in 1993. In 1993, he was awarded the Alumnus of the Year Award from the Hershey School for his work with youths, coaching Little League and Junior League teams from 1962 to 1977, his work with the community, founding the Mifflin Codgers, a 40+ Softball team, and his publications. In 2009, Voigt was crowned King of Baseballtown, an award presented by the Reading Phillies for persons who have donated to the role of baseball in America’s history. Voigt is referred to as one of the leading historians on baseball and its role as America’s National Pastime
The David Q. Voigt Collection was donated to the Albright College Special Collections and Archives by David Q. Voigt in 1999.
Scope and Content
The David Q. Voigt Collection consists of the author’s literary manuscripts, research note cards and materials used in writing several books and journal articles. The collection also contains photographs of baseball players and news clippings related to players and the sport itself.
Arrangement
The David Q. Voigt Collection is organized into seven series in five boxes. Box 1 contains Series 1, which are the note cards for American Baseball Volume 1. Box 2 contains Series 2, which are the note cards for American Baseball Volume 2. Box 3 contains Series 3, which are the note cards for American Baseball Volume 3. Box 4 contains Series 4 to 7. Series 4 is the published and unpublished works of the author, including drafts, reprints and notes for speeches given. Series 5 is made of photographs of David Voigt, photographs of baseball players from 1950 to 1970, and photocopies of photographs in the Bain Collection. Series 6 contains news clippings about baseball and the players, including several clippings from New York Times Sports Writer Arthur Daley. This series also contains cartoons and comics about baseball kept by Voigt. Series 7 consists of materials related to David Voigt such as catalogues that sell his books and the SABR Membership Directory from 1982. Box 5 is made up of two folders of oversized materials, being an excerpt of his book America Through Baseball and a review of his book American Baseball: Vol. 1.
Box and Folder Inventory
Box 1.Note Cards
Series 1.American Baseball Vol. 1
Sub-Series 1.From Gentleman’s Sport to the Commissioner System
Folder 1.From Start of Baseball to 1880
1.American Association and National League in 1880
2.Assorted Notes on Black Players and Guides
3.Ball Players
4.Ball Guides and Rules
5.MLB in 1880’s
Box 2.Note Cards
Series 2.American Baseball Vol. 2
Sub-Series 2.From the Commissioners to Continental Expansion
Folder 2.From 1890 to 1940
1.Teams of 1890’s
2.MLB in 1900-1920
3.MLB in 1920-1930
4.MLB in the Great Depression Era, 1930-1940
5.Fans, Sportwriters and Umpires, 1900-1920
6.Fans, 1920-1950
7.Umpires, 1900-1920
8.Umpires, 1920-1950
9.Owners, 1900-1920
10.Club Managers and Owners, 1920-1940
11.Star Players and Their Lives, 1900-1920
12.Interleague Rivalry, 1900-1920
13.Style of Play, 1900-1920
14.Keneshaw Mountain Landis (Federal Judge and First Baseball Commissioner in 1920)
Box 3.Note Cards
Series 3.American Baseball Vol. 3
Sub-Series 3.From Post War Expansion to Electronic Age
Folder 3.From 1950 to 1980
1.Books Consulted for Volumes
2.Bibliography for Volume 3
3.Unionism – Players Brotherhood
4.20th Century Umpires
5.20th Century Sportswriters
6.Baseball and Politics
7.Baseball Statistics, 1950-1970
8.Clubs, Profitters and Financiers
9.Major League Officials
10.Players
11.Fans
12.Further Commentary on Formative Years 1875
13.Further Commentary on Early National League 1877
Box 4.David Voigt
Series 4.Published and Unpublished Materials
Sub-Series 4.PhD Dissertation
Folder 4.Early Draft of “Cash and Glory: The Commercialization of Major League Baseball as a Sport Spectacular” 1962
Folder 5.Poster for Oral Presentation of “Cash and Glory” 1984
Sub-Series 5.American Baseball Vol. 1: From Gentleman’s Sport to the Commissioner System 1966
Folder 6.See Box 1 for Note Cards
Folder 7.Draft on First Professional Teams
Folder 8.Draft on Boston Red Stockings
Folder 9.Publisher Materials: Book Jacket
Sub-Series 6.Article in the Illinois Journal of History – 1969
Folder 10.“The Chicago Black Sox and the Myth of Baseball’s Single Sin”
Sub-Series 7.American Baseball Vol. 2: From the Commissioners to Continental Expansion 1970
Folder 11.See Box 2 for Note Cards
Folder 12.Publisher Materials: Book Jacket
Sub-Series 8.Article in Journal of Popular Culture - 1970
Folder 13.“America’s Manufactured Villain – The Baseball Umpire”
Sub-Series 9.America’s Leisure Revolution: Essays in the Sociology of Leisure and Sport, 1971
Folder 14.Publication: America’s Leisure Revolution
Sub-Series 10.America Through Baseball, 1976
Folder 15.Notes on America Through Baseball
Folder 16.Excerpt: “Black Man and Baseball: A Melting Pot is Dented” - stored in Box 5
Sub-Series 11.Article in Journal of Popular Culture – 1978
Folder 17.Draft of Article “Sex in Baseball: Reflections of Changing Taboos”
Folder 18.Reprint Publication: “Sex in Baseball: Reflections of Changing Taboos”
Sub-Series 12.Article in Quest – 1978
Folder 19.“Myths After Baseball: Notes on Myths in Sports”
Sub-Series 13.American Baseball Vol.3: From Post War Expansion to Electronic Age 1983 - See Box 3 for Note Cards
Folder 20.Draft: Players in the Postwar Era
Folder 21.Draft: Baseball’s Electronic Revolution – Radio/TV
Folder 22.Draft: Baseball’s Militant Villians
Folder 23.Draft: Baseball, Black and Beautiful - Minorities
Folder 24.Draft: Baseball Managers
Folder 25.Draft: Team Life in Expansion Era, 1961-1970
Folder 26.Draft: Chapter 1: Postwar Campaigns: The American League, 1946-1960
Folder 27.Draft: Chapter 2: Postwar Campaigns: The National League, 1946-1960
Folder 28.Draft: Chapter 3: Born Out of Time
Folder 29.Draft: Chapter 4: Postwar Potpourri
Folder 30.Draft: Chapter 5: The Predominance of Pitching
Folder 31.Draft: Chapter 6: Expansion Baseball: National League
Folder 32.Draft: Chapter 7: Expansion Baseball: American League
Folder 33.Draft: Chapter 10: The New Breed of Baseball Players
Folder 34.Draft: Chapter 11: New Vistas of Baseball
Folder 35.Draft: Chapter 12; Or, Stricking Out in the Eighties?
Sub-Series 14.Article in the Journal of American Culture – 1984
Folder 36.“From Chadwick to the Chipmunks”
Sub-Series 15.Baseball: An Illustrated History, 1987
Folder 37.Draft: The Changing of the Guard
Folder 38.Draft: Coping with Talent Scarcity
Folder 39.Draft: The Minor Leagues
Sub-Series 16.Sports History 1987
Folder 40.Interim Class planning/ itinerary – Class on baseball and sociological influence, 1985, 1990
Folder 41.Publication: Sports History
Sub-Series 17.Article written for United States International Communications Agency - 1987
Folder 42.“Remembering Jackie Robinson – Baseball Equalitarian”
Sub-Series 18.Oral Presentations
Folder 43.“Reflections on Diamonds: American Baseball and American Culture” presented in 1973 at the North American Society for Sport History Conference (NASSH)
Folder 44.“Baseball as a Microcosm of United States Society” presented in 1981 at the North American Society for Sport History Conference (NASSH)
Folder 45.“Philadelphia – Cradle of Major League Baseball” presented in 1990 at the Symposium on Philadelphia’s Baseball History
Folder 46.“If You Think that Today’s Baseball Players are Militant, Consider the Revolting Players of 1890!” presented in 1990
Folder 47.Presentation Notes on “Nuggets From the Nineties” presented in 1993 at the North American Society for Sport History Conference (NASSH)
Folder 48.Programs from Speaking Engagements, 1984, 1999
Sub-Series 19.Unpublished Materials
Folder 49.Player’s Mini-Biographies 1989
Series 5.Photographs
Sub-Series 20.Of David Voigt as Little League Manager
Folder 50.Brookline Little League Team, 1973
Folder 51.Brookline Little League Team, 1974
Folder 52.“M” Little League Team, 1975
Folder 53. “M” Little League Team, 1976
Folder 54. “M” Little League Team, 1977
Folder 55.David Voigt and Little League Team, 1976-1977
Folder 56.Framed Baseball with America Through Baseball information
Sub-Series 21.Of Baseball Figures
Folder 57.Andujar, Joaquin (Houston Astros #47)
Folder 58.Ashburn, Rich (Philadelphia Phillies #1)
Folder 59.Boudreau, Lou (Cleveland Indians #5)
Folder 60.Carew, Rod (Los Angeles Angels #29)
Folder 61.Carlton, Steve (Philadelphia Phillies #32)
Folder 62.Dawson, Andre (Montreal Expos #10)
Folder 63.Durocher, Leo (New York Giants Manager)
Folder 64.Fisk, Carlton (Boston Red Sox #27)
Folder 65.Guerrero, Pedro (Los Angeles Dodgers #28)
Folder 66.Hernandez, Keith (New York Mets #17)
Folder 67.Kaline, Al (Detroit Tigers #6)
Folder 68.Kell, George (Detroit Tigers #21)
Folder 69.Kittle, Ron (Chicago White Sox #42)
Folder 70.Lemon, Bob (Cleveland Indians #21)
Folder 71.Mantle, Mickey (New York Yankees #7)
Folder 72.Mathews, Eddie (Atlanta Braves #41)
Folder 73.Murray, Eddie (Baltimore Orioles #33)
Folder 74.Rice, Jim (Boston Red Sox #14)
Folder 75.Robinson, Jackie (Brooklyn Dodgers #42)
Folder 76.Schmidt, Mike (Philadelphia Phillies #20)
Folder 77.Spalding, Albert (Boston Red Stockings)
Folder 78.Strawberry, Darryl (New York Mets #18)
Folder 79.Sutter, Bruce (St. Louis Cardinals #42)
Sub-Series 22.Action Photographs
Folder 80.Tagging Out
Folder 81.Maris Hitting 61st Home Run, 1961
Folder 82.Action from All Star Game, 1952
Folder 83.Don Larsen’s Perfect Game, 1956
Folder 84.10th Inning of 1956 World Series: Dodgers vs. Yankees
Folder 85.Evolution of the Mitt
Folder 86.Unknown San Francisco Player
Sub-Series 23.Negatives
Folder 87.5 Negatives of Modern Players
Folder 88.Baseball from New York Herald Dec. 18 1921
Sub-Series 24.Photocopies
Folder 89.George Grantham Bain Collection – Sports photographs from 1900 to1920 taken by George Grantham Bain, a New York photographer. Collection stored in Library of Congress.
Folder 90.Marguard of the Giants
Folder 91.Baseball at the Polo Grounds, 1886
Folder 92.Detroit Tiger Pitchers, 1935
Folder 93.Hubbell Pitching to Buster Adams, 1943
Series 6.News clippings
Sub-Series 25.News clippings by Arthur Daley
Folder 94.News clippings by Arthur Daley (Sports for New York Times) 1965-1968
Sub-Series 26.News clippings
Folder 95.Related to David Voigt
Folder 96.News clippings relating to baseball, 1930-1968
Sub-Series 27.Comic Strips
Folder 97.Baseball related Comic strips
Series 7.Related Materials
Sub-Series 28.Catalogues
Folder 98.Catalogues that advertised books written by Voigt
Sub-Series 29.Book Reviews
Folder 99.David Voigt’s Reviews of books
Folder 100.Reviews of David Voigt’s books – stored in Box 5
Folder 101.Spitball Magazine with review of book and nomination for Casey Award 1987
Sub-Series 30.Society for American Baseball Research
Folder 102.Society for American Baseball Research Membership Directory 1982
Sub-Series 31.Correspondence
Folder 103.Letter to Ed Bell, 1999
Sub-Series 32.Baseball Paraphernalia
Folder 104.Baseball Paraphernalia
Box 5.Oversized Documents – Folders 15 and 100 are stored here due to their large size
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