The Institute for Baseball Studies, the first humanities-based research center of its kind associated with a college or university in the United States, will celebrate its grand opening on the campus of Whittier College on Friday, January 16, 2015.  The festivities will commence with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 12:30 p.m. in Room 310 on the third floor of the Mendenhall Building, Whittier College’s central administration facility, at 13406 E. Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90608.

Mendenhall Building – Whittier College

In addition to the ribbon cutting, brief comments will be made by Joseph L. Price, Genevieve S. Connick Professor of Religious Studies at Whittier College, and Terry Cannon, Executive Director of the Baseball Reliquary, who are co-Directors of the Institute for Baseball Studies; and Charles Adams, Professor of English at Whittier College, and Mike McBride, Professor of Political Science at Whittier College, who are Associate Directors of the Institute.  Also included will be a raffle of baseball books and memorabilia.  Refreshments, including hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack, will be served.  Attendees are also invited to view the Institute for Baseball Studies’ current exhibition, “Long Road to Glory: The Harlem Globetrotters and the House of David,” on view in the Wardman Library beginning January 10, 2015.

The Institute for Baseball Studies is a collaborative effort of Whittier College administrators and faculty members, and the Baseball Reliquary, a Pasadena-based nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of America’s art and culture through the prism of baseball history and to exploring the national pastime’s unparalleled creative possibilities.

The Institute for Baseball Studies’ research collection includes books and periodicals, the papers of distinguished baseball historians and journalists, the Baseball Reliquary’s organizational history and documentation, and a variety of materials that will support multifaceted and interdisciplinary studies at Whittier College, and will prompt the exchange of ideas, the development of research initiatives, and the creation of public symposia and programs highlighting baseball’s significance in American culture.

The Institute for Baseball Studies will be accessible to students, scholars, and the general public.  Beginning Friday, January 23, the Institute will be open to the public on Fridays between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. during the school year and at times when the Mendenhall Building is open.  The Institute will be open on other days by appointment only.

For further information, contact Institute for Baseball Studies co-Directors Joseph L. Price by e-mail at jprice@whittier.edu or by phone at (562) 907-4803; or Terry Cannon by e-mail at terymar@earthlink.net or by phone at (626) 791-7647.  We also invite you to visit, and to become a member of, the Institute for Baseball Studies Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/347883628706532/.  The Institute for Baseball Studies is supported, in part, by a POET Internship provided by Whittier College and by a grant to the Baseball Reliquary from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

Date & Time: Friday, January 16, 2015, 12:30 p.m. 

Location: Mendenhall Building Room 310, Whittier College 

Address: 13406 E. Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90608

PARKING & DIRECTIONS:

The Institute for Baseball Studies is located in Room 310 on the third floor of the Mendenhall Building, on the campus of Whittier College, at 13406 E. Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90608.  To get to the Institute, exit the I-605 Freeway at WHITTIER BLVD.  Turn EAST on Whittier Blvd.  Proceed approximately two (2) miles to PHILADELPHIA ST.  Turn LEFT on Philadelphia St. and proceed several blocks through historic Uptown Whittier to PAINTER AVE.  Proceed across Painter Ave. and turn RIGHT into the parking lot on the EAST side of the Mendenhall Building.  Limited free parking is available in this lot in spaces marked “VISITOR PARKING.”

(Article courtesy of Institute for Baseball Studies)