Interview with Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, June 9, 1976
Project: A. B. "Happy" Chandler: The Dr. Charles P. Roland Interviews
Interview Summary
Chandler discusses how and why he became commissioner of baseball and describes some of the changes he made in this role, including passing a rule to prevent boys from playing until they've graduated, fighting to allow black people to play baseball, and trying to keep gambling out of the game. He discusses various baseball players, then goes on to talk about some of the logistics of his job as commissioner as well as the decision to not approve him for a new contract as commissioner. Chandler describes a meeting with Leo Durocher after having suspended him and describes a time he took the American Army team to Japan. They discuss various mementos presented to him. Chandler concludes the interview by describing what he considers his legacy, including funding pensions for baseball players and teachers, selling TV contracts in order to fund the pensions for baseball players, and helping to ensure the players were paid fairly.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
Interviewer Name
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Interview LC Subject
Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991 Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991--Interviews Kentucky--Politics and government Kentucky. Governor (1935-1939 : Chandler) Kentucky. Governor (1955-1959 : Chandler) Politicians--United States United States--Politics and government Baseball Politicians--Kentucky Politics and government Politics, Practical Durocher, Leo, 1905-1991 Crosby, Bing, 1903-1977 Discrimination in sports Racial integration in sports Baseball commissionersInterview Rights
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.Interview Usage
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Chandler, Albert Benjamin Interview by Charles P. Roland. 09 Jun. 1976. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Chandler, A.B. (1976, June 09). Interview by C. P. Roland. A. B. "Happy" Chandler: The Dr. Charles P. Roland Interviews. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Chandler, Albert Benjamin, interview by Charles P. Roland. June 09, 1976, A. B. "Happy" Chandler: The Dr. Charles P. Roland Interviews, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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