This heavy wool baseball jersey likely belonged to the Tillotson College baseball team around 1910. A historically black college in Austin, Texas, Tillotson later merged with Samuel Huston College to create Huston-Tillotson University. Samuel Huston College is perhaps best known for their basketball coach during the 1944 season: a young Jackie Robinson. After his honorable discharge from the Army in 1944, Robinson accepted an offer to coach the fledgling program at SHC. The program was new, and severely undermanned, so Robinson frequently played for Samuel Huston. After his first season, Robinson joined the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League, and the rest was history.

     This wool jersey buttons down halfway, and is aged to a light brown color. “TILLOTSON” is sewn across the front in muted red felt. A red felt “T” is sewn on the left arm and a blank tag is sewn on the back inside collar. The jersey is collared.

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