Al Hermann
Albert Bartel Hermann
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.
- School New Jersey Law School, Colgate University
- High School New Brunswick High School
- Debut July 17, 1923
- Final Game April 20, 1924
- Born March 28, 1899 in Milltown, NJ USA
- Died August 20, 1980 in Lewes, DE USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Al Hermann, sometimes called Albert or Ab or A.B. or Albert B. Hermann, was a ballplayer for a few years but later became a legendary Republican Party operative [1]. His daughter is former Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson. [2] Politician Howard Phillips recalled how Hermann, when with the Republican National Committee, took Phillips to see some Braves active in baseball. [3] TV journalist Cokie Roberts, when young, lived next door to the Hermann family and sometimes babysat their daughter Jo Ann. [4]
Al was at Colgate University from 1920 to 1923, where, among other things, he was for a time the captain of the basketball team and the baseball team [5]. He quickly came to the majors in July of 1923, playing 31 games with the Boston Braves. It was a relatively old team, and Al along with Ernie Padgett and Dee Cousineau were the youngest position players on the team at age 24.
Al came back for just one game with the Braves in 1924, and spent the rest of the year in the minors. He played in the minors through 1930. He was the star hitter with the 1926 Albany Senators.
After his baseball career, Hermann was executive director of the Republican National Committee from 1949 to 1952 and 1957 to 1961. When Jackie Robinson campaigned for Richard Nixon in the 1960 Presidential Election, he became upset that the campaign wasn't interested in racial inclusivity, so he wrote to Albert Hermann, described as the campaign director of the Republican National Committee in a Chicago Tribune article, January 30, 2019.
The New York Times, Sept. 1, 1949, reported that Al went to New Brunswick High School and was president of his graduating class at Colgate. He graduated in 1931 from New Jersey Law School, one of several law schools that eventually merged and became Rutgers University Law School. He worked as an aide to two senators before he was named to be executive director of the RNC.
His New York Times obituary, August 24, 1980, states that he began in politics as his hometown's party chairman. He managed a gubernatorial campaign in 1934 and then a senatorial campaign in 1938. The Wikipedia site for New Jersey elections (03-29-20) shows he ran for the House of Representatives (New Jersey, Third District) in 1936, and lost although he got 47.7% of the vote.
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