Helene Hathaway Britton
Helene Hathaway Robison Britton (January 30, 1879 – January 8, 1950) was the owner of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team of the National League from 1911 through 1916. She inherited the franchise upon the death of her father, Frank, and uncle, Stanley Robison. Britton was the first woman to own a Major League Baseball franchise.
Helene Hathaway Robison Britton | |
|---|---|
 Britton in 1915 | |
| Owner of the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| In office 1911–1916 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Robison and Stanley Robison |
| Succeeded by | Sam Breadon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 30, 1879 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | January 8, 1950 (aged 70) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Parents | Frank DeHass Robison Sarah Carver Hathaway |
Biography
She was born on January 30, 1879 in Cleveland, Ohio to Frank DeHass Robison and Sarah Carver Hathaway. Britton's father owned the Cleveland Spiders until the team folded after the 1899 season. She married Cardinals president Schuyler Pearson Britton on October 29, 1901 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and they divorced in 1916. She inherited ownership of the St. Louis Cardinals on the death of her uncle, Stanley Robison, in 1911, prior to women even being able to vote. Britton attended National League owner meetings where other owners spent time trying to persuade her to sell the team because she was a woman.[1] She sold the team in 1917. She remarried on August 19, 1918. She died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 8, 1950 at the age of 71.[2]
References
- Hummel, Rick (November 17, 2016). "Cardinals' female owner featured in 'Women of Baseball' exhibit". STLtoday.com.
- "Mrs. Bigsby, Owned Baseball Club, 71. First Woman to Head Major Team, St. Louis Cardinals, Dies. Sold Out in 1917". New York Times. January 10, 1950. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
Mrs. Helene H.R. Bigsby, the first woman to own a major league baseball club, died last night at her daughter's home in West Philadelphia after an illness of three months. Her age was 71.
