With 3,509 strikeouts, 417 wins, 110 career shutouts and a place in the inaugural class of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Walter Johnson was truly a one-of-a-kind player. But as we continue into the 21st century, Johnson’s legacy is becoming less and less well-known. Allie Utley, a historian from Humboldt, Kansas, the town Johnson was born just outside of, is trying to change that. Utley paid a visit to WJ on May 15 along with former administrator Charles Rideout and alumnus Michael Rideout to tour the school and collect artifacts for a local museum dedicated to baseball history.
Along with the school tour, Utley took a tour of Povich Field at Cabin John Regional Park and visited Johnson’s gravesite among other stops. Utley also met with Hank Thomas, Johnson’s grandson, and collected artifacts from Thomas’s scrapbook that was put together by Johnson’s wife, Hazel.
“I found his number in a box of old papers, and I decided to give him a call up. He was just so thrilled to hear from Kansas again, and we’ve become really good friends over the last two years or so. I’m really happy to be able to meet him in person,” Utley said.
Thomas was the one who connected Utley to the Rideouts as Thomas had known Charles Rideout from his days as an administrator.
“Our family met [Charles when] he was the Vice Principal. He made a big deal at the high school for Walter’s hundredth birthday celebration in 1987,” Thomas said.
While visiting the college and career center at the school, they viewed a collection of old copies of The Pitch and The Windup. They continued to the Walter Johnson plaque where Charles Rideout shared a story about the plaque being stolen by someone from American University.
“It took a while to get back,” Charles Rideout said.
The tour ended at the English department office, where there was an array of old photos relating to Johnson, such as the bed he was born in and photographs of him.
While collecting and preserving history is not Utley’s main job, she has developed an interest for both baseball and history. Because of this, she has dedicated her free time to historical conservation, especially if it’s related to Johnson.
“I am a community organizer by trade in Allen County and in all of Kansas. I do a lot of political work in my professional life, but in my personal life, a bit of a side quest I’ve been on is all of this baseball stuff and history preservation work in Allen County,” Utley said.
To Utley, preserving Johnson’s history is meaningful not only on a historical level, but also a personal level. Utley’s grandfather spent a lot of time researching and collecting Walter Johnson memorabilia in his role as the original steward of the Walter Johnson Preservation in Humboldt.
“I thought with me being a community organizer, I may as well be preserving what is also a part of my family legacy too, and that’s what inspired me to do it,” Utley said.
Utley hopes to spread awareness about Johnson’s contributions both to the world of baseball and to his community. Johnson served as Montgomery County Commissioner and ran to be the representative for Maryland’s sixth district in Congress. Even with all of the fame gained from being an all-time great pitcher, Johnson remained humble.
“I don’t think they know him as much as I want them to know him. I want them to know that not only was he a great pitcher, he was a great person. He was in the inaugural Hall of Fame class with Babe Ruth. He is not just any random baseball player, he is one of the baseball Gods. I want them to really start embracing that again for the first time in 10 years. I just want them to feel my energy and excitement be present in the community,” Utley said.
Having a school named after Johnson is something Thomas has taken pride in, since he believes WJ is an outstanding school and continues Johnson’s legacy.
“We’ve just always just been very proud of the high school. It’s just a great school, and we’re happy to have such a fine institution named after our ancestor. It’s just been a great relationship between the family and the high school over the years. It’s a great thing and I hope that continues in one form or another,” Thomas said.
