120413-0008 - Horace Wilson

Horace Wilson (ホーレス・ウィルソン, 1843–1927) was an American professor of English at Dai Ichiban Chugakko (第一番中学), a forerunner of Tokyo Imperial University (東京帝國大學), during the early 1870s. He’s generally credited with introducing baseball to the country in either 1872 (Meiji 5) or 1873. He was inaugurated into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (野球殿堂, Yakyu Dendo) in 2003 (Heisei 15). Photographed by Kuichi Uchida on September 23, 1874 (Meiji 7). This photo is signed by Wilson himself on the back. Scan available on request.