Z 1244.000 Mitchell (William) Papers

William (Willie) Mitchell was born December 1, 1888 in Pleasant Grove near Sardis, Panola County. He attended A. & M. College in Starkville from 1906–1909 and received All Southern honors as a baseball pitcher. After graduation in 1909, Mitchell went to San Antonio, Texas, to play in the Texas League before becoming a member of the Cleveland Indians and later the Detroit Tigers. He was the first Mississippi to attain major league status. Mitchell was the first pitcher to face Babe Ruth in the American League and Mitchell struck Ruth out. Mitchell was the first man in the American League to go into the army. He set strikeout records for 9-inning games in college (26), in Texas League (21), and the American League (20). He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1966. This collection consists of correspondence and newspaper clippings concerning Mitchell's induction into the Hall of Fame. Included are letters from Governor Ross Barnett, William Winter, and others.