Durham is a remarkable community which has not compromised its tobacco heritage. To Grace, Durham serves as a microcosm of the old history of tobacco, baseball, and society. Beginning in the 1880s, tobacco brands like Old Judge contained baseball cards. Many other brands such as Fatima, Polar Bear and Sweet Caporals followed suit. In later years, famous players like Stan Musial, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio were also featured in print ads for cigarettes.
Baseball is an integral part of our society for fans and the public at large.
For example, a stadium affects everyone's taxes whether people like baseball or not. The university's archives and rare books department house the Baseball Research Collection as part of its Urban Studies archive. That collection focuses on baseball and its impact on urban society.