Author ORCID Identifier:
Date of Graduation
12-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in History (MA)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
History
Advisor/Mentor
Pierce, Michael
Committee Member
Stanley, Matthew
Second Committee Member
Williams, Patrick
Keywords
1950s; Arkansas; Baseball; Desegregation; Integration; Segregation
Abstract
From 1953 through 1955 the Cotton States League of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana went through an integration and financial crisis that led to its collapse. Through this three season stretch several clubs attempted to sign and play black ballplayers, a first in the segregated minor league. While the major leagues and a majority of minor leagues successfully integrated, the Cotton States League represented one of the final holdouts of whites-only baseball. The league collapsed in 1955 due to a myriad of issues including declining interest, which led to severe financial issues. This thesis will examine the final three years of the league and argue its collapse was inevitable regardless of whether or not integration was successful. Using primarily newspaper sources, this paper will also argue that fans of the league were largely pro-integration, and came out to the ballpark to support integrated clubs. Opposition to integration mirrored the conflict that would define Arkansas in the late 1950s, as ownership pushed back despite broad acceptance from fans. Through the Cotton States League’s saga from 1953 to 1955 a broader conclusion can be drawn about the decline of all minor leagues and the crises of integration that would follow in the next several years.
Citation
McEachern, A. M. (2025). The Collapse of the Cotton States League: Segregation and the Final Years of Minor League Baseball in South Arkansas. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6028
