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Jim Griffith

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James Henry Griffith, born July 20th, 1896 in Fluvanna, TX,1 was a professional baseball executive who served as president of the El Dorado Oilers from 1937-1939 and the president of the Cotton States League from 1947-1948. He lived much of his life in El Dorado, AR.

Biography

Griffith was the namesake of Jim Griffith Field in El Dorado, AR.

Griffith died on June 19th, 1968 in El Dorado, AR.2 He was buried in Arlington Cemetery in El Dorado.3

Excerpts

"James Henry "Jim" Griffith, 71, of 3116 E. Main St., who served as president of the Union County Fair Association for 30 years, died at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday in a local hospital following a brief illness. Mr. Griffith, who was known as "Mr. Baseball" and "Mr. Pipeline" in El Dorado for his work with the El Dorado Oilers and Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co., was presently serving as the [Union County] Fair Association President and was also the 1968-1969 president of the Arkansas Fair Managers Assn. He had also served as vice president of the Arkansas Fair Association. He was elected president of Union County Fair Association in 1938 and served in that position until his death. Mr. Griffith was also a member of the board of the Arkansas Livestock Association. Born July 20th, 1896, in Fluvana, Tex., he tried ranching in West Texas before getting into a pipeline career that was to span 41 years. In 1920, Mr. Griffith was employed by the Lee Ray Gas and Water Co., in Lee Ray, Tex., and moved to El Dorado in 1921 when that firm joined with the late Col. T. H. Barton to form El Dorado Natural Gas Co. He continued his career in natural gas pipelining in 1929 when El Dorado National Gas Co. merged with Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co., from which he retired in 1961 as division superintendent of the pipeline department. When baseball activity was at its greatest height in El Dorado, Mr. Griffith served as president of the El Dorado Oilers (1938-30) and president of the Cotton States League (1947-48) He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of El Dorado. Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Stella Mowery Griffith of El Dorado; a son, James W. Griffith of Bearden; a sister, Mrs. Ida Fotley of Liberty, Mo., and a half-sister, Mrs. Isabelle Cochran of Carterville, Okla. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Gary Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Arlington Cemetery under the direction of Rumph Mortuary. The body will remain at the mortuary until one hour before final rites. Memorials may be made for the Union County Fair Building Fund in care of Eddie Adams at the First National Bank."4