Unlikely PhilanthropistUnlikely Philanthropist

Ty Cobb’s reputation is for ruthlessness both on and off the baseball field; less well known is his philanthropy, which over the last 60 years enables thousands of Georgians to attend college and graduate school.  

A Complicated Man

The “Georgia Peach” Ty Cobb (1886-1961) is one of baseball’s legends. A member of the first class inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Cobb is widely credited with setting 90 major league baseball records during his career. Today, more than half a century after his death, his name often conjures up images of a vicious ballplayer who spikes his opponents and beats up the disabled.¹ Based on this reputation, if there’s ever a more unlikely philanthropist, it’s Ty Cobb.  

Interestingly, long after he retired f...