Art Willingham

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Art Willingham, a business and baseball figure in the Sherman, Texas area in the mid-20th century, managed the Sherman-Denison Twins in the Big State League for part of 1947.

Willingham, a local business magnate with businesses at various times as a furniture dealer and restaurant/night club operator, had managed the semipro Sherman Independents prior to World War II, at least as early as 1937.[1] He was secretary of a baseball camp operated in Sherman by former Major Leaguer Sam Gray in February and March 1938.[2]

Willingham obtained a franchise for the Sherman area in the revived East Texas League by December 1945.[3] Upon his return from the winter meetings in Columbus in December, he announced plans for a new park to be constructed between Sherman and Denison at a cost of about $10,000.[4]

The 1947 campaign for the Twins in the newly-rechristened Big State League got off to a rocky start when, on March 3, Monty Stratton, who had started his comeback by starring with the 1946 Twins, declined to sign the contract Willingham offered him.[5] Willingham gave Stratton his release three days later. With the club in fifth place on April 30, he relieved Guy Sturdy of field manager duties on April 30, 1947, and installed himself as field manager for a week. He handed over the reins to John Whitehead a week later on May 6, stating he could not fill both the manager and operator roles simultaneously.[6]. Willingham sold the club to a group of four Sherman businessmen on June 20, 1947 for $55,000, whereupon the new owners immediately named Sturdy club business manager.[7]

Willingham continued to be involved in business in the Sherman area. As owner of the Hi-Lite club, a restaurant and night club in Sherman, he was arrested on July 30, 1949 in conjunction with a raid by the Texas Rangers, and was charged with operating an illegal gambling house.

By 1953, Willingham was again in baseball as owner of the Sherman-Denison entry in the Sooner State League. On August 12, he was quoted as saying he was "through" with baseball.[8] He reiterated the statement at the end of the month, adding that he was sure another representative from Sherman would step forward to own a club in a proposed north-east Class C league in Texas the following year.[9] The league never materialized, and Sherman has not hosted a professional club since.


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Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Antlers Mountaineers Play Sherman Sunday", pg 5. Dallas Morning News, 1937-06-22.
  2. ↑ "Sammy Gray's Baseball School to Open at Sherman Feb. 14", pg 4. Dallas Morning News, 1938-01-26.
  3. ↑ "Magnates Head East for Meet", pg 15. Dallas Morning News, 1945-12-02.
  4. ↑ "Sherman Plans Park", pg 5. Dallas Morning News, 1945-12-20.
  5. ↑ "Stratton is Holdout", pg 12. Dallas Morning News, 1947-03-04.
  6. ↑ "Whitehead Twins' Pilot", pg 2. Dallas Morning News, 1947-05-07.
  7. ↑ "Local Men Land Team", pg 11. Dallas Morning News, 1947-06-21.
  8. ↑ "Twins Owner Ready to Sell", pg 23. Dallas Morning News, 1953-08-13.
  9. ↑ "Three Cities Set to Join C League", pg 10. Dallas Morning News, 1953-08-31.
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