Harrington Field Dedication Honors Native Son
This article describes Milton Harrington and the dedication of Harrington Field in his honor. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.Citation for this article is: Peele, Woody. "Field Dedication Honors Native Son" Greenville Reflector, May 10, 1971.
One of Pitt County's native sons was honored yesterday in festivities in Minges Coliseum and at the baseball field that was being named for him.
Milton E. Harrington, now president and chairman of the board of Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company, came home yesterday to see East Carolina University's baseball stadium named in his honor.
What he saw however, was not what college officials want to be the finished product.
Presently, new lights have been installed on the field; while a brick wall which will eventually support a roof, stands behind the present seating. ECU officials, however, want new seating, the roof, a new press box, additional lighting and a new scoreboard before they call Harrington Field completed.
"It's about two-thirds complete," Dr. Leo Jenkins, President of the University, told the special guests at a ceremony in the lobby of Minges Coliseum. "We consider this a good addition to our athletic complex. We shortly hope to make it among the tops in college baseball."
While noting that he was unsure when the project could be completed, he said that it would be completed, so that "it would be worthy of bearing the name of Milton Harrington."
Reynolds May, who heads up the East Carolina University Foundation, which guided the raising of money for the stadium, gave the dedicatory address, praising Harrington as one of the finest men he's ever known.
May was associated with Harrington when he was a member of the Duke University baseball team,and then in Greenville, when the two played on the old Coastal Plains League team.
"When the trustees decided to name the field for Milton Harrington," May said. "They could have made no better choice. His life runs parallel with baseball, and he is a home town boy."
May recounted events in Harrington's life, from his birth in Pitt County and his early education in Greenville.In 1927, Harrington entered Duke University, where the teams he played on are remembered as among the best Duke ever fielded.
Following his graduation from Duke, Harrington returned to Greenville, where he was one of the founders of the Coastal Plain League, managing the first Greenville team in the league. "He is definitely the Father of Baseball in Eastern North Carolina and in Greenville," May said.
May praised Harrington as being a born competitor."The tougher the competition, the better he liked it and the better he played. He asked and gave no quarter. He has a perceptive mind; he can figure out what the other team is going to do. And he's not afraid to take chance, to try new things."
May pointed out that these traits carried over when Harrington left baseball and went into the business world, and helped to bring him to his present position. "This has all showed through in business," he said. "Harrington was one of the first to add diversification to his company, and has been recognized by the State of California as one of the outstanding men in the field of tobacco."
May also added that Harrington had not lost his humility. "He's the same man he was years ago. He is the same talking to a farmer in the field as he is talking to the president of the United States."
At the conclusion of the indoor ceremonies, a portrait of Harrington was unveiled by one of his granddaughters, Barbara Jean Harrington.
Brief ceremonies were then held on the field, with Harrington tossing out the first ball of the day.
"I am humbly proud and deeply grateful for this honor," He told the crowd attending the game. "And I want to thank every one of my dear friends who made an effort to come here for this."
And Harrington could't have been too disappointed in the outcome of the game that followed. East Carolina beat his alma mater, 10-4, but it was on "his" field.
