Dorothy Jane Mills

Dorothy Jane Mills
also known as Dorothy Z. Seymour and Dorothy Seymour Mills

• School Fenn College
• Born 1928
• Died November 2019 in Tucson, AZ USA

Biographical Information

From 1949 until 1990, Dorothy Jane Mills quietly contributed her research and writing to the first baseball histories ever written by a historian. As the wife of historian Dr. Harold Seymour, she found herself increasingly involved with his books, as the couple presided over mountains of records on the game and worked to prepare his imposing manuscripts for press. But she received no official credit. It was after Dr. Seymour's passing that other researchers learned she was the unattributed co-author of much of his work.

In describing her recent book and what it covers, Mills answered some questions that historians and fans have often asked about her work with the first historian of baseball. She also dispelled some misconceptions about the reason the book was written.

Mills is the author of 17 of her own books, appears in Who's Who in America (2003) and Who's Who of American Women (2002). She works in several fields. Her books include The Sceptre, a historical novel, and a vegetarian cookbook, Meatless Meat. Her 1965 children’s book, Ann Likes Red, has been republished by Purple House Press.

She lived in Naples, FL, gave speeches and seminars at conferences, conventions, libraries, and book clubs. She wrote for internet magazines and mentors aspiring writers. Each month she published a newsletter for fans and others interested in her.

Her memoir A Woman's Work: Writing Baseball History with Harold Seymour reveals details of the author's partnership with baseball's most revered historian. Many new facts regarding Mills' role come to light. Mills, now recognized as the game's first woman historian, also explains how her work as a teacher, editor, novelist, children's author and public speaker fit into her baseball work. The book contains numerous photographs from the author's personal collection, most of them in print for the first time as well as a foreword by Steve Gietschier of The Sporting News. Her publishing company, Patrician Publications, has published some of her books. In 2010, she was named as part of the inaugural class of recipients of the Chadwick Award, alongside her late husband.

In 2018, SABR introduced an award in her honor for those promoting women in baseball. The inaugural winner was umpire Perry Barber. She was followed by Rachel Robinson in 2019 and owner Effa Manley.

Further Reading

• Dorothy Seymour Mills: Chasing Baseball: Our Obsession with its History, Numbers, People and Places, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2010.
• Dorothy Jane Mills: A Woman's Work: Writing Baseball History with Harold Seymour, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2004.
• Dorothy Seymour Mills: Drawing Card: A Baseball Novel, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2012.
• John Thorn: "Harold Seymour and Dorothy Seymour Mills", in The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 39, Number 1 (Summer 2010), p. 130.

Related Sites

• Official Internet Home of Dorothy Jane Mills
• SABR tribute page
• A Woman's Work: Writing Baseball History with Harold Seymour
• Official Website of Dr. Harold Seymour
• Harold Seymour Bibliography