Frank Steele left legacy at Hall of Fame

Steele’s natural enthusiasm carried over to day-to-day life in Laverock, where he and Peggy resided. “He always spent time with people; he was very outgoing and gregarious,” said Peggy. “He loved people. Just as an example, he’d go to the grocery store and he’d be gone for two hours. He’d talk to the owner, George, ask him how the business was doing. He enjoyed talking to people and helping people.”

Steele certainly made an impression on Hall of Fame executives. “Mr. Steele had a tremendous influence on myself, personally, and others,” said Bill Burdick, the longtime secretary of the Hall of Fame. “He was a very caring individual who obviously felt positively about the game of baseball and the Hall of Fame.”

Josh Boots

Steele Internship Class Year: 2004 College: Loras College ‘04 Intern Department: Development Current Occupation: Assistant Vice Chancellor at University of Wisconsin-Platteville Josh graduated magna cum laude from Loras College in December of 2004. A double-major in Sports Management and Business Administration, Josh began his professional career in minor league baseball before moving into the non-profit sector. “While interning at the Hall of Fame, I worked in the Development department which fueled my interest in philanthropy and I have no doubt is the reason I am sitting where I am today,” said Boots. Josh launched his non-profit career with the United Way, working with community members and businesses to fulfill their philanthropic goals while improving the community. From there, Josh returned to his alma mater, Loras College, as a member of the development staff. “My internship in Cooperstown was an incredible journey that I would encourage anyone to partake in, if given the opportunity. During that summer I was able to meet and work with a diverse group of individuals that were unbelievably smart and hardworking.” Work ethic has stuck with Josh, after serving as Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement at his alma mater, Loras College, he is now Assistant Vice Chancellor at University of Wisconsin-Platteville. “When I look back on my time in Cooperstown, I feel blessed. I was surrounded by an incredible full-time staff that mentored me and a great group of college kids to share the experience. There are no words to express the gratitude I have toward the generosity of Frank and Peggy Steele. “

Sarah Coffin

Steele Internship Class Year: 2010 College: The College of Wooster ‘10, Harvard University '16 Intern Department: Photo Archives Current Occupation: Curator, Boston Red Sox As an undergraduate history student at the College of Wooster, Sarah discovered her passion for museum and exhibit work. This, along with her love of baseball, led her to apply for the Steele Internship program. “I have always loved baseball and the history of the game, so when I saw the application for the Steele Internship, I immediately applied,” Coffin said. “I was incredibly lucky to spend the summer of 2010 as the Photo Archives Intern as part of the Steele Internship Program.” Coffin’s summer in Cooperstown paid off as her connections that summer led to her to open the door with the Red Sox. “While in Cooperstown, I learned hands-on skills necessarily to preserving photographic collections. The Steele Internship gave me an opportunity to merge my passion for baseball with the skills I needed for a successful career in the professional museums world.” After spending her summer in Cooperstown the Massachusetts native landed a job as the Archival Assistant for the Boston Red Sox. Coffin has since risen to the title of Curator. She primarily works with The Red Sox photo collection. Unique opportunities have included the opportunity to assist with the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park in 2012. The special project included the publishing of three books, a new museum space in Fenway Park known as The Nation’s Archives and a National Geographic documentary, Inside Fenway Park: An Icon at 100. In addition to working at Fenway Park, Coffin has a Master’s degree in Museum Studies from Harvard University.

Erik Ingmundson

Steele Internship Class Year: 2011 College: Wheaton College ’06, UMass-Amherst ‘12 Intern Department: Curatorial Current Occupation: Supervisor of Interpretation, Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, Conn.) When Erik Ingmudson became a Steele Intern in 2011, he had bachelor’s degree and four years of work experience in museums and historic sites under his belt. To many, the thought of an internship may have seemed unusual. “While I had enjoyed my job, I knew that in order to grow, I needed further academic training and new professional experiences,” Ingmundson said. “To that end, I enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. My goal was to earn an M.A. in History, with coursework in museum studies. As part of my degree, I had to spend at least 300 hours interning at a museum or historic site.” For a big baseball fan, what better place than the National Baseball Hall of Fame. As an intern in the museum’s curatorial department, Ingmudson studied alongside John Odell, the museum’s Curator of History and Research. “John had me work on a variety of projects, including writing labels for new exhibits, photographing current exhibitions, and writing an article for Memories and Dreams magazine.” These tasks allowed Ingmundson to sharpened his research and writing skills and learn the importance of using plain, accessible language to convey complex ideas to museum visitors. Upon graduation, Ingmundson continued in the museum field where he currently serves the Mystic Seaport Museum as their Supervisor for Interpretation. He directly supervises approximately 100 staff and volunteers, and helps to develop new educational programs. “Without question, I am a stronger museum professional as a result of my internship with John. I am a better researcher, writer, and creative thinker. I have often heard people ask ‘What can a person do with a degree in history?’ In response, I point to my experiences as a Steele intern and say ‘quite a lot!’”

Emily Bayci

Steele Internship Class Year: 2014 College: University of Illinois ’08, MS LIS University of Illinois ‘12 Intern Department: Library Research Current Occupation: Children's Librarian, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County As an undergraduate journalism student, Emily Bayci always tried to combine her love for sports and books. As a sports reporter for her college’s newspaper, Bayci covered a variety of events. From national championship title runs to record breaking streaks, Bayci’s excitement for sharing sports with others grew. This led her to enroll in the Library & Information Science graduate program at her alma mater. It was during her first year of graduate school that Bayci was able to expand on her love for baseball and books. That year, Bayci participated in an alternative spring break at the Hall of Fame’s Giamatti Research Center. “This week-long experience was the perfect "sneak peak" at everything the Hall of Fame has to offer,” Bayci said. “I shadowed in various departments, had a tour of the museum, the collections and the library and helped answer reference questions. I knew Cooperstown was a magical place after my week-long experience and knew that I was going to return one day.” Little did she know, that day would be a year later as a Steele Intern. “The internship was very similar to my alternative spring break but a million times better. There were 14 other interns to share the experience with and I was able to jump into different responsibilities at the Hall. I loved answering reference questions from Museum visitors. You never knew what to expect.” Upon completion of her 10 weeks in Cooperstown, Bayci traveled to Nanjing, China to report on the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games as a Young Reporter for the International Olympic Committee. “I spent three weeks working with a team of 29 other Young Reporters from all around the world interviewing athletes that could be future Olympians. We focused on the Olympic sports there: gymnastics, swimming and triathlon. My new friends in Nanjing would often ask me why Americans liked baseball and what made it so interesting. I tried my best to explain to them how magical and exciting baseball could be.” After returning from China, Bayci quickly began her new career as a children’s librarian in Cincinnati. As the home to the Reds, she is able to incorporate baseball into her daily programming. With the 2015 MLB All-Star Game taking place in Cincinnati this year, Bayci has created a summer learning program, “All Star Learners.” “I will be having lots of baseball themed story times, activities and movie sessions this summer. I will definitely be able to use all my knowledge that I picked up while working at the Hall.”