Morgan Bulkeley was an integral part of the early days of professional baseball in the United States, serving as the first President of the National League in 1876. Previously, Bulkeley had founded the Hartford Dark Blues baseball club, a member of the National Association of Base Ball Players. As the president of the NL, Bulkeley worked to clean up the league, working tirelessly to limit the vices that permeated the young sport, including drinking, gambling, and unruly crowds. Later in his life, Bulkeley would become the governor of Connecticut. He signed this appointment in 1891 as governor, naming Charles A. Elliot a Director of the State Prison on July 1st, 1891. Bulkeley, as well as “R. Jay Walsh”, the secretary of state, have both signed this 16 x 11 inch document in black pen. An embossed seal of the state of Connecticut is embossed on the lower left hand corner. Bulkeley served as governor from 1889 to 1893, and later served six years in the US Senate as a representative from Connecticut. Bulkeley was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, 15 years after his death, making his signature scarce, highly desirable and sought after for deceased Hall of Famers. This item comes with a LOA from JSA (Z58663).

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