Date of Award
Spring 5-2014
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Program
History
Department
History
Major Professor
Allan Millett
Second Advisor
Gunter Bischof
Third Advisor
Michael Mizell-Nelson
Abstract
The Green Light letter from President Franklin Roosevelt to Major League Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis gave MLB permission to continue throughout World War II. The team owners felt relief that MLB is the only professional sport to survive during the years of World War II (1941-1945). MLB became a primary contributor toward the war effort. While war-supporting efforts were conducted, team owners positioned themselves to benefit from the bond between baseball and the American people. MLB portrayed itself through the commissioner’s office policy as a patriotic partner by providing entertainment for American factory workers and contributing equipment to servicemen overseas. MLB also remained a monopoly without Congressional inquiries or public challenge. Since MLB was exempt from anti-trust laws, team owners operated within MLB’s anti-trust exemption and strengthened position for the post war period.
Recommended Citation
Stephen, Patrick A., "Major League Baseball and World War II: Protecting The Monopoly by Selling Major League Baseball as Patriotic" (2014). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1835.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1835
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.