Rick Woodward
| Allan Harvey "Rick" Woodward | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | September 16, 1876 Wheeling, West Virginia |
| Died |
November 23, 1950 (aged 74) Birmingham, Alabama |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Allan Harvey "Rick" Woodward (1876–1950) was an American businessman and baseball team owner.
Woodward began serving as the general superintendent of the Woodward Iron Company in 1899. Following his father's death, he became the company's president in 1918. Woodward also served on the board of several other companies in the southern United States. During World War I, Woodward served on the Pig Iron, Iron Ore, and Lake Transportation subcommittee of the War Industries Board.
Following his college baseball career at the University of the South, Woodward managed the Woodward Iron Company's baseball team. In 1909, he bought the Birmingham Barons, a local minor-league team in Birmingham, Alabama. His first initiative as owner was the construction of Rickwood Field in 1910. It was the first stadium constructed from steel and concrete in the southern United States and the first of its kind constructed for a minor league team.
Woodward was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, on September 16, 1876 to Joseph Hersey Woodward and Martha Burt Metcalfe Woodward. In 1881, his father and uncle founded the Woodward Iron Company, based in Bessemer, Alabama. He attended the University of the South from 1892 to 1895, where he was a catcher for the school's baseball team. His father made him leave the school when his grades began to fall due to his focus on baseball. Woodward then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1896 to 1899, where he earned a degree in mining engineering. He also gained much business training by working with his father at the Woodward Iron Company.
Woodward served in practically every capacity connected with Woodward Iron Company. Woodward became general superintendent of the company in 1899, and president in 1918 (one year after his father's death). During the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway strike in 1921, to show that he had not forgotten his early training, he ran a locomotive on the company's rail for several days. His was the first train that moved over the entire line after the strike was declared. During World War I, Woodward Iron Company was important to the war effort, shipping thousands of tons of materials to the allies. During the war, Woodward served on the Pig Iron, Iron Ore, and Lake Transportation subcommittee of the War Industries Board.
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