Susan MacKay, Registrar, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Sue MacKay lives only a few minutes from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum where, for the past fifteen years, she has been the Registrar of the collections department. With a staff of three, she oversees the organization, maintenance, and preservation of the museum’s 38,000 three-dimensional artifacts. With a lifelong interest in both history and sports, Sue feels blessed to have a job that combines both.

As a very young child, I actually lived in the clubhouse of a nine-hole golf course my grandparents and then parents managed; so golf was my first love at age three and tennis was a close second. Baseball, however, was also special because it was something that I shared with my dad. We always watched the Game of the Week together on one of the few channels that we received—no cable TV back in the 1960s and 70s—and we would watch whatever teams were playing, though our favorite team was the Yankees. Growing up, I would memorize player names and positions and could easily follow the action on TV. I loved the game, both for its simplicity and complexity, on many different levels.

I was born in Cooperstown but never dreamed that I would be a staff member at the Baseball Hall of Fame. I fancied myself being an English or anthropology major in college, but decided to major in history because I had spent many hours as a work-study student in the college museum and felt very comfortable with objects. After graduation, I worked in several local museums and found that I really loved the work. I attended graduate school at the Cooperstown Graduate School in History Museum Studies and applied for the job of Associate Registrar at the Hall of Fame in 1994. Out of three hundred applicants, I received word of my successful acceptance.

Working in the Hall of Fame

There is no “typical” day at the Hall. Every day is different, and it’s the variety that makes it so special. At any given time, Hall of Famers, politicians, or celebrities can walk into the building. This love of the game encompasses all parties and all walks of life. We meet some truly legendary people in their respective fields, and it is always a pleasure to welcome them to Cooperstown and share their passion for the national pastime.

I spend a lot of time answering inquiries from the public and speaking with folks about the donation process, in person, by telephone, and via the internet. We do not authenticate or appraise material for the public, but we guide them to organizations that can help with this process.

I was overwhelmed when I first started the job in May of 1994, and I knew that I would have to adjust quickly to a busy summer schedule. I started to familiarize myself with various department files and read as many research guides as possible, such as the Baseball Encyclopedia, Total Baseball, and the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards. These sources began to prepare me to answer questions from the public.

When people discover that I work at the Baseball Hall of Fame, their reaction is always enthusiastic. The Hall is a happy place, and many fans have made the trip to Cooperstown with their families as young children, so they often have some distant memories. Many of these same folks will return thirty or forty years later with their own children or grandchildren. The Hall is a place where true bonding occurs. I enjoy seeing this bonding in the exhibits where the adults will share their memories with their kids or grandkids.

Acquiring Artifacts at the Baseball Hall of Fame

The Hall’s accessions committee considers all forms of baseball-related material for inclusion in the permanent collection. This group meets on a monthly basis to review photos, digital images, letters, and accompanying information related to a potential donation. The committee is comprised of staff from the following departments: collections, communications, curatorial, exhibits, and the library. While the communications department is responsible for securing current major-league...