Humanities Iowa Awards Grant to Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation for Baseball History Program

Des Moines, Iowa – Humanities Iowa has awarded a Mini Grant to the Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation to support “An Exploration of Baseball’s History in Iowa,” a daylong public program examining Iowa’s influence on the early development of professional baseball and the Civil War’s role in spreading the game.

The program will take place Wednesday, May 27 at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines and will feature a free public exhibition and evening lecture led by baseball historian John Liepa. The exhibition will showcase Liepa’s extensive collection of baseball cards and memorabilia connected to Iowa players and teams, with items dating from the 1850s to the present.

Highlights include Iowa’s oldest known baseball card and an 1866 diary from the Mount Pleasant Hawkeyes, believed to be the oldest known piece of Iowa baseball memorabilia. The display will also feature cards representing Iowa’s seven Baseball Hall of Famers and many of the 227 native-born Iowans who have played in Major League Baseball.

“This program shines a light on a unique piece of Iowa history, and we’re thrilled to be able to support it,” said Heather Plucar, Executive Director of Humanities Iowa. “By bringing together historical artifacts and public scholarship, the Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation is creating an engaging opportunity for Iowans to explore their state’s connection to a larger national story.”

Throughout the day, volunteer docents, baseball authors, members of the Society for American Baseball Research, and members of the Des Moines Civil War Roundtable will be available to engage visitors and share their knowledge of Iowa’s baseball heritage. The day will conclude with a public lecture by Liepa titled “Baseball’s Origins: The Civil War’s Role in Spreading the Game to Iowa.” The program will explore how the Civil War helped accelerate the game’s spread through military camps and returning soldiers, ultimately helping to establish organized clubs across the Midwest. The lecture will be free and open to the public.