Autographed First Pitch Baseball

Afghanistan 1946

In the mid-1940s, an American named J. Robert Fluker was living in Afghanistan and teaching at Habibia College in Kabul. Fluker, whose teaching position was funded by the U.S. Department of State, decided to introduce the game of baseball to his students. In 1946, during the opening game, the Prime Minister of Afghanistan Shah Mahmud Khan threw this baseball as the ceremonial first pitch. He autographed it afterwards. Today, cultural and sports diplomacy play an important role in international relations. Through shared cultural activities, diplomats bring people together and often break down preconceived ideas about differences.

  • Source/Credit: In Memory of J. Robert Fluker
  • Catalog Number: 2019.0009.01
  • Created: 1946
  • Acquired: 2019

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MLA Format

Autographed First Pitch Baseball . 1946. National Museum of American Diplomacy, https://diplomacy.state.gov/items/autographed-first-pitch-baseball

Chicago Format

Autographed First Pitch Baseball , 1946, National Museum of American Diplomacy, Washington, DC, https://diplomacy.state.gov/items/autographed-first-pitch-baseball

APA Format

(1946). Autographed First Pitch Baseball [Object]. National Museum of American Diplomacy, Washington, D.C., United States. https://diplomacy.state.gov/items/autographed-first-pitch-baseball