Sunday, June 7, 2009, Royston, Ga. - Ty Cobb’s legacy has been captured and preserved for future generations in one of the finest museums in the country. Opened on July 17, 1998, the museum houses more Ty Cobb memorabilia than any other baseball institution and celebrates the life achievements of baseball’s greatest performer.
In the fall of 1945, Ty Cobb announced in a press release from his residence in Menlo Park, Calif. that he had decided to go through with his plans to build a “model” hospital in Royston, Ga. to memorialize his parents.
Back in Royston, Dr. Stewart Brown announced in a separate press release that Cobb had agreed to begin work on the hospital.
“Ty has been interested in such a project for some time,” said Dr. Brown, who was a close friend of the Georgia Peach, and made the historic journey with Ty to Augusta to try out for the Tourist in 1904. Brown was a pitcher for Royston Reds when Ty became a member of that team.
After a couple years of gathering information and visiting different hospitals, Cobb met with Dr. Brown and Gus Skelton in 1947 at Hartwell, Ga. to execute the check presentation ceremony among a few old “friends.” Cobb wrote out a check from his personal account for $100,000 and said, “There are the documents that will get it going.”
Gus Skelton, an insurance executive from Hartwell and who was instrumental in preparing the proper documentation, said of Ty, “It goes without saying that this whole section is grateful to their native son. He isn’t doing it for show, he is sincere and in an unselfish way wants this hospital to some day grow into a medical center for northeast Georgia.”
On March 26, 1949, the ground-breaking ceremony for the hospital marked the beginning of a new era for Royston’s healthcare “dream.”
“This is the happiest day of my life,” said the 61-year-old Hall of Famer. “I’ve never forgotten the people of Royston—my oldest, truest friends,” said Cobb as he dug his shovel into the ground near where he had once plowed up the soil as a youngster.
Georgia Governor, Eugene Talmadge, was on hand and praised Cobb for his philanthropic contribution. The Governor had previously promised to help Georgia towns build hospitals with over one million dollars in appropriated funds annually.
The $250,000 building was to be equipped with the latest and advanced medical equipment and would meet some stiff specifications from both the State Department of Health and Federal Government.
The hospital was opened to all doctors in the area and served the people in all of Hart, Madison and Franklin counties. Cobb was quite elated about helping his hometown people.
On a Sunday afternoon in late Jan. 1950, a large crowd gathered in front of the newly bricked building in anticipation of the opening of the COBB Memorial Hospital, a large 25-bed facility equipped with the latest medical technology.
The dedication ceremony was of grand occasion as Ty was a featured speaker. “This hospital and everything in it belongs to you people around here to whom I’ve always had in my heart,” said Cobb.
“I want you to know this is not my hospital, and we want every doctor to use and enjoy the facility,” Dr. Brown said.
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