A graveside gathering at the O'ahu Cemetery on Monday marked the 203rd birthday of Alexander Cartwright Jr.
He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and is sometimes referred to as the “father” of the modern game.
Taking part in the local commemoration was his great-great-granddaughter Ana. She was born at Wahiawa General Hospital and said she learned how to swim from one of Duke Kahanamoku's brothers near the Waikiki Natatorium.
She flew in from California where she works as a designer for rock music shows and joined The Conversation to share his legacy.
"It's wonderful to go and see a mountain of baseballs and people doing personal messages and notes to him and flower leis all over the headstone and the monument and even the plaque when you walk up the stairs," she said.
If you want to learn more about Alexander Cartwright Jr., a book written about him by Don Chapman is available on Amazon.
This interview aired on The Conversation on April 17, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
