Harvard's Contribution to Baseball

Harvard may be at the forefront of innovation in nanotechnology and stem cells, but the University can lay claim to a more basic invention as well...

Harvard may be at the forefront of innovation in nanotechnology and stem cells, but the University can lay claim to a more basic invention as well.

Wired magazine has a story on the patenting of the catcher's mask, 130 years ago this month, by Fred Thayer, who at the time was the captain of the
Harvard baseball team. Harvard Magazine covered Thayer's invention in the past; see stories here and here. Read the Wired story here.

Related topics

You might also like

Harvard Students, Alumni to Compete at the 2026 Olympics

Six Crimson athletes are headed to the XXV Winter Games in Milano Cortina. 

Introductions: Dan Cnossen

A conversation with the former Navy SEAL and gold-medal-winning Paralympic skier

England’s First Sports Megastar

A collection of illustrations capture a boxer’s triumphant moment. 

Most popular

Massachusetts General Hospital's resident mummy undergoes restoration and study

MGH's resident mummy undergoes restoration and a medical exam.

Mindfulness—the unconventional research of psychologist Ellen Langer

Psychologist Ellen Langer's unconventional research. Plus, read about applying mindfulness techniques to eating.

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

Explore More From Current Issue

Firefighters battling flames at a red building, surrounded by smoke and onlookers.

Yesterday’s News

How a book on fighting the “Devill World” survived Harvard’s historic fire.

Modern campus collage: Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center, One Milestone labs, Verra apartment, and co-working space.

The Enterprise Research Campus in Allston Nears Completion

A hotel, restaurants, and other retail establishments are open or on the way.

A woman in a black blazer holds a bottle of beer.

Introductions: Mallika Monteiro

A conversation with a beer industry executive