Visitors to the History Center can now see an iconic piece of women’s sports history that's truly in a league of its own! Today, the History Center installed this original game-worn uniform from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League inside our new exhibition, A Woman’s Place: How Women Shaped Pittsburgh. 👚⚾ On loan from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History , the cotton dress was worn by Cincinnati, Ohio, native Betsy Jochum of the South Bend (Ind.) Blue Sox. Between 1943 and 1954, more than 600 girls and women competed in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, including 15 women from Western Pennsylvania. At its peak in 1948, it attracted almost one million paying fans. One of the original 60 players in the AAGPBL, Jochum spent her entire career (1943-1948) with the Blue Sox. Quick on her feet, she primarily played in the outfield, but also pitched. Jochum led the league in hits in 1943 and 1944 with a .296 average. The Blue Sox uniform joins Jochum’s leather baseball glove, cleats, and additional artifacts on loan from the Smithsonian featured as part of the women’s sports section in the A Woman’s Place exhibit, which is open through Oct. 6. #AAGPBL #ALeagueOfTheirOwn #WomensBaseball #AWomansPlace #Smithsonian #Unboxing
Senator John Heinz History Center
Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
Pittsburgh, PA 2,813 followers
Smithsonian Affiliate, Pittsburgh's People Museum
About us
Devoted to the history and heritage of Western Pennsylvania, the Senator John Heinz History Center is Pennsylvania’s largest history museum and a proud affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The six-floor, 275,000-square-foot museum and research facility, located in Pittsburgh's Strip District, presents the most compelling stories from American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection, all in an interactive environment perfect for visitors of every age. A variety of long-term and changing exhibits reveal the fascinating scope and impact of American history with a regional connection. The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, a museum-within-a-museum located on the History Center 's second and third floors, celebrates Western Pennsylvania’s unsurpassed sports legacy. More than 250 years of our region’s history can also be explored in our Detre Library & Archives. MISSION STATEMENT The History Center is an educational institution that engages and inspires a large and diverse audience with links to the past, understanding in the present, and guidance for the future by preserving regional history and presenting the American experience with a Western Pennsylvania connection. This work is accomplished in partnership with others through archaeology, archives, artifact collections, conservation, educational programs, exhibitions, library, museums, performance, publications, research, technical assistance, and increasingly through broadcast media and the internet.
- Website
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http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
External link for Senator John Heinz History Center
- Industry
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Type
- Nonprofit
Locations
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Primary
1212 Smallman St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222, US
Employees at Senator John Heinz History Center
Updates
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Beloved by Steelers fans and revered by the men he coached, Dick LeBeau spent 59 consecutive seasons in the NFL,14 playing cornerback with the Detroit Lions and 45 as a coach for numerous teams. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 2010, LeBeau is recognized as the mastermind behind the Steelers zone blitz defense. As the defensive coordinator for the team, he crafted the strategy that contributed to wins in Super Bowl XL and XLIII. Join LeBeau and former Steelers players for the official launch of his new book, “Legendary: The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers Defense, the Zone Blitz, and My Six Decades in the NFL,” at the Heinz History Center on Sunday, July 14. Tickets are still available! https://lnkd.in/eqtxr8AG
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It’s a three-peat for the Heinz History Center! We’re proud to be named Pittsburgh’s Best Museum by readers of Pittsburgh Magazine for the third year in a row. A huge thank you to everyone who voted in the Best of the ’Burgh poll – plan your visit to the History Center this summer to celebrate!
2024 Best of the 'Burgh Winners: Entertainment & Leisure | Pittsburgh Magazine
https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com
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Barbara Frederick of the PA State Historic Preservation Office recently wrote a blog post about the reinstallation of Virgil Cantini’s 1964 mosaic mural and the impact of the Section 106 process, which ensures agencies consider the effects of federally funded projects on historic properties. The History Center’s Italian American Program played an important role in this process, providing access to primary sources related to the creation of the mosaic from the Virgil D. Cantini Papers and Photographs. https://lnkd.in/eGtbnVtR
Cantini’s Mosaic Tunnel Preserved: A Legacy of the Section 106 Process - Pennsylvania Historic Preservation
https://pahistoricpreservation.com
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This week, the Heinz History Center received a special proclamation from the Pennsylvania Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development Committee honoring its national recognition as the #1 History Museum in America by USA Today. History Center President and CEO Andrew Masich and Executive Vice President Tonia Rose traveled to Harrisburg to meet with committee members, state senators, and house representatives to receive the proclamation and celebrate the honor. They also had the opportunity to tour the Gettysburg Battlefield and get a sneak peek at the updated entrance to Little Round Top. Thank you to our dedicated elected officials for their unwavering support – we're proud to be one of the premier attractions on Pennsylvania’s Great American Getaway! 📸 Masich with Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania Austin Davis. 📸 Masich and Rose with Pennsylvania State Senator Wayne D. Fontana. 📸 Masich with Pennsylvania State Representative Lindsay Powell, MPP. 📸 Masich and Rose on a tour of Gettysburg with members of the House Tourism Committee. Donna Oberlander Mary Jo Daley
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The Heinz History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum celebrate Major League Baseball’s announcement that Negro League statistics are now incorporated into the official record books. Pittsburgher and Hall of Famer Josh Gibson now holds the record for career batting average, career slugging percentage, career OPS. One of the most prodigious hitters in baseball history, Gibson was a star catcher for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords. His powerful swing and arm strength made him a menace around the Negro Leagues – and now his achievements are officially recognized within the historical records. As Crawfords teammate and pitcher Satchel Paige (who now sits in third place with the MLB’s best earned run average) said, “You look for his weakness, and while you’re lookin’ for it, he’s liable to hit 45 home runs.” From 1937 to 1945, with the help of future Hall of Famers such as Gibson, “Cool Papa” Bell, Judy Johnson and Buck Leonard, the Homestead Grays won an unprecedented nine consecutive league pennants and three Negro League World Series titles. While the Grays developed into a perennial powerhouse, the city’s other Negro League team, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, were also a formidable franchise. Owned by successful businessman Gus Greenlee, the team enticed all-star players Gibson and Oscar Charleston to leave the Grays to play for the Crawfords. With a stacked roster and financial stability, they developed into one of the best teams in baseball, peaking with a Negro National League championship in 1935. Plan your visit today to the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum learn more about our region's rich Negro League tradition. 📸 1929 Pittsburgh Crawfords, Gibson is fifth from the left. Courtesy of Lou Swartz.
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Tonight, the Heinz History Center will honor six exceptional individuals who have profoundly contributed to our region at the 31st annual History Makers Award Dinner, presented by BNY Mellon and Citizens. This year’s awardees represent a commitment to excellence that has defined our community, and we are proud to recognize them tonight at our annual black-tie benefit at the Westin Pittsburgh. Congratulations to the 2024 History Maker Award honorees: Charlie Batch, MSOL and Latasha Wilson-Batch, M.S, NCC (Community) - Founder and Executive Director, Best of the Batch Foundation Diane Holder (Leadership) - Executive Vice President, UPMC, President and CEO, UPMC Health Plan William Pietragallo, II (Law) - Founding Partner, Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP Manny Sanguillén (Sports) - Pittsburgh Pirates Catcher, 1971 and 1979 World Series Champion Velma Scantlebury-White, MD, FACS, GCM (Healthcare) - Co-Founder and CMO, Delaware Health Equity Coalition Inc., Adjunct Professor, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
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Senator John Heinz History Center reposted this
Happy Birthday, Nellie Bly! 🎉🎈 #OnThisDay 160 years ago, legendary Apollo, Pa. journalist Nellie Bly, who famously pioneered a new era of investigative journalism in the late 19th century, was born. If you’re traveling through the airport today, be sure to stop by her lifelike figure outside of security and wish her a happy birthday! Learn more about Nellie’s incredible life and see the small handbag she carried around the world in 1889 (perhaps the world’s best packed carry-on bag of all time?!) in the Senator John Heinz History Center’s new exhibition, A Woman’s Place: How Women Shaped Pittsburgh, open now. #NellieBly #OTD #Pittsburgh #PittsburghAirport #HeinzHistoryCenter #HappyBirthdayNellieBly
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Pennsylvania State Representative Lindsay Powell recently presented Heinz History Center President and CEO Andrew Masich with a special proclamation honoring the History Center for its national recognition as the #1 history museum in America by USA Today. Thanks to Rep. Powell for your support and for helping us make history! #Pittsburgh #HeinzHistoryCenter #BestHistoryMuseum