Documentary screening to spotlight women in baseball during WWII

The women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) blazed the trail for women in sports in the U.S. while competing across the nation during World War II. Now, their stories are being shared through a documentary produced by Grand Valley students, faculty, alumni and staff.

"A Team of Their Own: The First Professional Baseball League for Women," will be shown March 23, from noon-1 p.m., in the Kirkhof Center's Grand River Room, followed by a Q&A session with the faculty and students who produced the film.

The documentary, produced primarily by the GVSU Veterans History Project, highlights interviews with more than 40 women who played in the AAGPBL, including former members of a local team, the Grand Rapids Chicks.

The AAGPBL, developed by former Chicago Cubs’ owner Philip K. Wrigley in 1943, existed for 12 years. The Grand Rapids Chicks played in Michigan from 1945 until the league folded in 1954. The team won the league championship in 1953 and played most of their games next to the old Grand Rapids South High School. Another local team, the Muskegon Lassies, joined the league in 1946 before relocating and becoming the Kalamazoo Lassies in 1950.

Since 2006, the Veterans History Project has served as an archiving and collecting partner with the Library of Congress. With assistance from educational institutions, libraries, museums and historical societies, the group has undertaken several projects to collect and preserve the stories of U.S. veterans, as well as other participants in, or witnesses to, the American experience during times of war.

More information regarding this documentary can be found in the winter issue of Grand Valley Magazine , or by contacting Andrea Lenneman, GVSU Veterans History Project public relations and event coordinator, at [email protected].

A full list of upcoming screenings can be found at www.gvsu.edu/wibdoc.