ALBERT B. "HAPPY" CHANDLER - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED CHECK 10/03/1988 CO-SIGNED BY: MILDRED CHANDLER - HFSID 270962

ALBERT B. "HAPPY" CHANDLER and MILDRED CHANDLER
The United States Senator and MLB Commissioner and his wife signed this check
Check Signed: "AB Chandler/[illegible]" and “Mrs. A.B. Chandler” on verso. 8¼x3. Versailles, Kentucky, 1988 October 3. Check No. 309, drawn on his account at the Woodford Bank & Trust Co., payable to "Mrs Chandler" for $2,829.18. Endorsed: "Mrs. A.B. Chandler" on verso. Nicknamed "Happy", Albert B. Chandler (1898-1991) was the Commissioner of Baseball from 1945-1951. He was primarily a politician who served as Kentucky Governor (1935-1939, 1955-1959) and U.S. Senator (1939-1945) before his appointment as leader of the MLB. He was chosen for the position out of fear of the owners that their players would be made eligible for the draft and thought Chandler could help their players become exempt. Perhaps his most significant contribution to the sport was his full support for integration. Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers during Chandler's tenure with the commissioner's support. Chandler was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. Before his notable accomplishments as commissioner, he was elected Governor of Kentucky at the young age of 37 and led major tax reform. Twenty years later, he was nominated for a second term. During this last term he worked to balance the budget and supported integration just as he did when he worked for the MLB. Mildred Chandler (ca. 1899-1995) was his wife. Lightly creased with fold not at signature. Regular bank stamping. ¾-inch tear at upper left blank margin, minor nick at upper blank edge. Otherwise, fine condition.