Helene Hathaway Britton
Encyclopedia
Helene Hathaway Robison Britton (1879 - January 8, 1950) was the owner of the St. Louis Cardinals
baseball team of the National League
from through . She inherited the franchise upon the death of her uncles, Frank
and Stanley Robison
. Britton was the first woman to own a Major League Baseball
franchise.
, Britton's father owned the Cleveland Spiders
until the team folded after the 1899 season. She inherited ownership of the St. Louis Cardinals
on the death of her uncle, Stanley Robison
, in 1911. She divorced Cardinals president Schuler Britton in 1916. She sold the team in 1917 remarried, and died in Philadelphia at the age of 71.
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
baseball team of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
from through . She inherited the franchise upon the death of her uncles, Frank
Frank Robison
Frank DeHass Robison was an American businessman, best known as a baseball executive. He was the organizer of the Cleveland Spiders franchise, and owned or part-owned the club throughout its existence, from its founding in as the Cleveland Blues until...
and Stanley Robison
Stanley Robison
Martin Stanford "Stanley" Robison was an American owner and manager in Major League Baseball. Robison was the owner of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1899 to 1911, along with his brother Frank. He was also part-owner of the Cleveland Spiders for most of their existence, from 1887 to 1899...
. Britton was the first woman to own a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
franchise.
Biography
Growing up in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Britton's father owned the Cleveland Spiders
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
until the team folded after the 1899 season. She inherited ownership of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on the death of her uncle, Stanley Robison
Stanley Robison
Martin Stanford "Stanley" Robison was an American owner and manager in Major League Baseball. Robison was the owner of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1899 to 1911, along with his brother Frank. He was also part-owner of the Cleveland Spiders for most of their existence, from 1887 to 1899...
, in 1911. She divorced Cardinals president Schuler Britton in 1916. She sold the team in 1917 remarried, and died in Philadelphia at the age of 71.