Talk:Art Willingham

From SABR Encyclopedia

Possible SSDI entry for person:

ARTHUR WILLINGHAM 	15 May 1890	Feb 1965	(Texas)	(none specified)	451-36-5339	Texas

Also, at http://www.oklahomahistory.net/newsletters/ttnewsxa.html the following comment was posted:

"Hi Butch, We are enjoying the T&T out here in Nevada, so keep up the good work. I do have a comment to make about the ballpark there in Ardmore. This dates back to early 1950 and the old Indians Ball Club. They were owned then by Arthur Willingham, my Uncle. He operated the ball club there until around mid 1952 and then moved it to Sherman, Texas and was based there for several years before selling it to another promoter in Sherman. He might be remembered around Ardmore as a local businessman and also operated the Willingham Drilling Company there and in Sherman, Texas. He was born and raised around Ardmore and ran a successful ball club while living there. He was a survivor of the 1915 explosion there in Ardmore, but, his father Henry Lafayette Willingham was killed. Arthur and his Grandmother Kerbo were sitting in a wagon beside the Pennington Wholesale House when the explosion occurred. He was about 11years old at the time and was accompanying his Father who was buying supplies for a small grocery store he ran near Mannsville. Even though he and the Grandmother were showered with debris, neither were seriously injured. Regrettably, they never found any remains of his Father, my Grandfather. Arthur passed away several years ago at Oklahoma City and remained a baseball lover until he died."

This doesn't exactly match up -- both Sherman and Ardmore had clubs in the Sooner State League in 1952. This also suggests a possible relationship with Hugh Willingham, who played and managed at Ardmore in 1952.

-- Ted Turocy, 2009/05/05