Grace Elizabeth Reidy Comiskey (May 15, 1893 – December 10, 1956) was an American businesswoman who was the owner of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

from 1939 through 1956. Comiskey was the

daughter-in-law In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity is the kinship relationship created or that exists between two people as a result of someone's marriage. It is the relationship each party in the marriage has to the family of the other party in th ...

Charles Comiskey Charles Albert Comiskey (August 15, 1859 – October 26, 1931), nicknamed "Commy" or "the Old Roman", was an American Major League Baseball player, manager, and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League and was als ...

and inherited control of the White Sox upon the death of her husband,

J. Louis Comiskey John Louis Comiskey (August 12, 1885 – July 18, 1939) was an American businessman and the owner of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1931 to 1939. Biography He was born on August 12, 1885, son of Charles Comiskey Charles Alb ...

Early life

Comiskey was born on May 15, 1893, in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

to parents Thomas and Elizabeth Reidy alongside two other siblings. She was educated at Adelphi College. In 1912, when she was invited to attend

baseball game between the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

, Comiskey met her future-husband

. She married Comiskey in September 1913 and they spent their honeymoon following the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants World Tour co-ordinated by her father-in-law

Career and death

Upon the death her husband in 1939, Comiskey inherited control of the White Sox of the

from through . Prior to gaining control, she entered into a legal battle with the First National Bank of Chicago who wished to sell the Comiskey's stock in the team to make up for lost earning. Eventually, Judge John F. O'Connell denied the banks' right to solicit bids for sale or stock in the

White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The club plays its home games at Rate Fie ...

. In 1941, Comiskey petitioned the Court to release her dowry rights, which would have been held as part of the estate until her youngest son reached 21, in order to purchase more stock. Once she was awarded the $60,000, she bought 1,000 shares in the White Sox to re-assume majority. On March 4, 1941, Comiskey was formally elected president of the White Sox by the team's board of directors, becoming the first woman president of an American League baseball team. When speaking about her milestone achievement, Comiskey said: “I believe a woman can fulfill the duties capably.” During her tenure with the White Sox, Comiskey was described as an "uncompromising, dowager who ruled the baseball club –and her family– with a velvet fist." This caused conflict between her and her son

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

, who quit the organization after Comiskey reneged on her promise of a raise. By her fifth year as president, the White Sox had increased home attendance by 10%. She retained

Jimmy Dykes James Joseph Dykes (November 10, 1896 – June 15, 1976) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third and second baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Philadelp ...

as White Sox manager until 1946. Comiskey died of a heart attack in 1956 and control of the White Sox passed to Comiskey's eldest daughter,

Dorothy Comiskey Rigney Dorothy Elizabeth Comiskey Rigney (December 26, 1916 – January 22, 1971) was an American businesswoman who owned the Chicago White Sox of the American League from through . She is one of the few women to have served as principal owner of a Major ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Comiskey, Grace Reidy 1956 deaths 1893 births Women sports owners Chicago White Sox owners Chicago White Sox executives Businesspeople from Chicago

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...

Adelphi University alumni 20th-century American businesspeople Women baseball executives

Early life

Career and death

See also

References

External links