For the first time in U.S. census history, the 1940 count included questions about income. The purpose was to capture a snapshot and better understanding of the economic struggles faced by individuals and families after the Great Depression.
In addition to weeks worked and annual income for 1939, respondents were also asked to share where they lived in 1935 to get a sense of how transitory people were as a result of financial hardship.
Image right: Cartoon of Satchel Paige, Ripley's Believe It or Not, Source: The Buffalo News, Mar 1, 1944, 38.
Regarding income, the census asked if the person earned over $5,000, and if not, how much. Thus, individuals who earned over that amount are reflected in the census with an answer of "$5,000+".
When the 1940 census was released to the public in 2012 (after the 72-year confidentiality period ended), the census revealed several key findings:
1. The average income in 1939 was $1,368, with an average unemployment rate of 18.26% -- a slight improvement from the 25% unemployment rate of 1932.
2. There was an undercount of over 1.2 million Black individuals, suggesting that the economic situation for African Americans may have been difficult to accurately capture.
With those two factors in mind, I was curious to learn what the 1940 U.S. Census revealed about the earning of the men who played baseball in one of the many professional Negro Leagues clubs across the nation. Below are the findings after a cursory investigation.
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Table 1: Reported Annual Income of Select HOF Negro League Baseball Players for 1939, per the 1940 U.S. Census
| Name | Reported Annual Income |
| Benjamin Taylor | $5,000.00+ |
| Willard Brown | $2,000.00 |
| Hilton Smith | $1,200.00 |
| John "Buck" O'Neil | $1,000.00 |
| James "Cool Papa" Bell | $980.00 |
| Josh Gibson (actual $8,500, per C. Posey) | $800.00 |
| Ray Dandridge | $0.00 |
| Raleigh "Biz" Mackey | $0.00 |
| Leroy "Satchel" Paige (actual $40,000 in 1944) | No record located |
For comparison, the following are estimated conversions of what 1939 earnings are (adjusted for inflation) worth in 2024:
$5,000 = $109K
$2,500 = $54K
$1,000 = $22K
A few observations and comments:
- The census workers gathered data between April 1 and mid-May, 1940, just as the new baseball season was underway. With that, I suspect that Satchel Paige was not counted due to travel -- it's quite possible that he was still in Puerto Rico with Guayama where he played during the 1939-1940 winter season. Just four years later it was reported that he earned $40,000 a year. (Image above)
- The figures shared (or not shared) are not official tax records, it was simply a response to the question, "How much did you earn in 1939?" I take the "$0.00" answers as "None of your business" responses. Biz Mackey reported $0.00 in 1939 despite his employment with both the Baltimore Elite Giants and Newark Eagles that season. Ray Dandridge played south of the border, so perhaps some drew a distinction between money earned inside versus outside the U.S. Who knows?
- Josh Gibson reported earning just $800 for 26 weeks of work in 1939. He too played outside the U.S., in 1939, so perhaps international earnings are the distinction there. But it's worth noting that years later, Homestead Grays owner Cum Posey reported that Gibson earned $8,500 each season with the club.
- At the other end of the earnings spectrum is Ben Taylor earning over $5,000. According to his SABR Bio, after his retirement in 1938 he "stayed connected to baseball by printing and distributing game programs and scorecards." I'm 99.9% confident that this Benjamin Taylor in the 1940 U.S. Census is the Hall of Famer, however there are inconsistencies with the birth year and birth location. But his time as manager of the Brooklyn Eagles of the Negro National League in 1935 seems to align with the statement that he was in New York in 1935. Also, the date of the census record is April 26, 1940, and Ben Taylor attended a meeting about the press and Negro Leagues baseball in New York on April 25. Below are crops of the 1940 census record.
Table 2: Reported Annual Income of Select Negro League Baseball Players for 1939, per the 1940 U.S. Census
| Name | Age | Race | League | Occupation | Location | Residence in 1935 | Reported Annual Income | Weeks Worked | $ Per Week |
| Benjamin Taylor | 50 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Baseball Player | New York | New York | $5,000.00 | 52 | $96.15 |
| Leroy Matlock | 33 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Moberly, MO | Moberly, MO | $2,400.00 | 24 | $100.00 |
| Sam Bankhead | 29 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Homestead, PA | Homestead, PA | $2,000.00 | 26 | $76.92 |
| Willard Brown | 24 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Ball Player | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City, MO | $2,000.00 | 52 | $38.46 |
| Norman "Turkey" Stearnes | 40 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Detroit | Detroit | $1,820.00 | 52 | $35.00 |
| Gene Benson | 26 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $1,600.00 | 32 | $50.00 |
| Willie Cornelius | 32 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Chicago | Chicago | $1,272.00 | 18 | $70.67 |
| Hilton Smith | 25 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Ball Player | Ouachita, LA | Ouachita, LA | $1,200.00 | 26 | $46.15 |
| Vic Harris | 34 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | $1,200.00 | 52 | $23.08 |
| Johnny Hayes | 30 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Newark | Newark | $1,200.00 | 52 | $23.08 |
| John "Buck" O'Neil | 28 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Baseball Player | Sarasota, FL | Sarasota, FL | $1,000.00 | 30 | $33.33 |
| Richard Lundy | 41 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Newark | Newark | $1,000.00 | 52 | $19.23 |
| James "Cool Papa" Bell | 36 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Ball Player | St. Louis | St. Louis | $980.00 | 28 | $35.00 |
| Harry Williams | 37 | Negro | Negro League | Base Ball Player | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | $900.00 | 30 | $30.00 |
| Sammy Hughes | 30 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Louisville, KY | Louisville, KY | $875.00 | 20 | $43.75 |
| Jesse Walker | 28 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Nashville | Nashville | $840.00 | 26 | $32.31 |
| Chet Brewer | 33 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | $800.00 | 26 | $30.77 |
| Josh Gibson (actual $8,500, per C. Posey) | 28 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Ball Player | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | $800.00 | 26 | $30.77 |
| Fred Bankhead | 27 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Memphis | Birmingham, AZ | $800.00 | 42 | $19.05 |
| O'Neil Pullen | 44 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Bakersfield, CA | New York | $700.00 | 26 | $26.92 |
| Ruben Jones | 44 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Memphis | Dallas | $600.00 | 25 | $24.00 |
| Parnell Woods | 26 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville, FL | $250.00 | 21 | $11.90 |
| Jesse Hubbard | 44 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Los Angeles | New York | $0.00 | 30 | $0.00 |
| Ray Dandridge | 25 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Baseball Player | Newark | Newark | $0.00 | 26 | $0.00 |
| Raleigh "Biz" Mackey | 42 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Baseball Player | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $0.00 | 20 | $0.00 |
| Leroy "Satchel" Paige (actual $40,000 in 1944) | 34 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | No record located | | | | | $0.00 |
Table 3: Reported Annual Income of Select Athletes, Celebrities & Persons of Interest for 1939, per the 1940 U.S. Census
| Name | Age | Race | League | Occupation | Location | Residence in 1935 | Reported Annual Income | Weeks Worked | $ Per Week |
| Kenesaw Landis | 73 | White | MLB & Minors | Baseball Commissioner | Chicago | Chicago | $5,000.00 | 52 | $96.15 |
| Benjamin Taylor | 50 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Baseball Player | New York | New York | $5,000.00 | 52 | $96.15 |
| Harvey Iwata | 37 | Japanese | Nisei League | Ballplayer / Farmer | Dinuba, CA | Dinuba, CA | $5,000.00 | 52 | $96.15 |
| Johnny Mize | 27 | White | MLB & Minors | Ball Player | St. Louis | St. Louis | $5,000.00 | 52 | $96.15 |
| Joe Dimaggio (actual $27,500) | 25 | White | MLB & Minors | Baseball Player | New York | San Francisco | $5,000.00 | 35 | $142.86 |
| Clark Gable | 39 | White | Film | Actor | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | $5,000.00 | 52 | $96.15 |
| Ted Williams (rookie) | 21 | White | MLB & Minors | Baseball Player | San Diego | San Diego | $4,500.00 | 52 | $86.54 |
| Vince DiMaggio | 27 | White | MLB & Minors | Base Ball Player | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | $4,500.00 | 26 | $173.08 |
| Paul Dizzy Trout (rookie) | 24 | White | MLB & Minors | Baseball Player | Detroit | Detroit | $4,176.00 | 52 | $80.31 |
| Gerald Ford Jr. | 26 | White | College (Yale) | Football Coach | E. Grand Rapids, MI | E. Grand Rapids, MI | $3,500.00 | 52 | $67.31 |
| Milt Gantenbein | 29 | White | NFL (Packers) | Pugilist / Def. end | Green Bay | Green Bay | $3,400.00 | 27 | $125.93 |
| Leroy Matlock | 33 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Moberly, MO | Moberly, MO | $2,400.00 | 24 | $100.00 |
| Sam Bankhead | 29 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Homestead, PA | Homestead, PA | $2,000.00 | 26 | $76.92 |
| Willard Brown | 24 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Ball Player | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City, MO | $2,000.00 | 52 | $38.46 |
| Norman "Turkey" Stearnes | 40 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Detroit | Detroit | $1,820.00 | 52 | $35.00 |
| Wendell J. Smith | 26 | Negro | Media | Pressman | Pittsburgh | Charleston, WV | $1,680.00 | 52 | $32.31 |
| Gene Benson | 26 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $1,600.00 | 32 | $50.00 |
| Kenichi Zenimura | 40 | Japanese | Nisei League | Ballplayer / Car Dealer | Fresno | Fresno | $1,500.00 | 52 | $28.85 |
| Samuel Horowitz (Shemp Howard) | 44 | White | Three Stooges | Actor | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | $1,500.00 | 26 | $57.69 |
| Willie Cornelius | 32 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Chicago | Chicago | $1,272.00 | 18 | $70.67 |
| Hilton Smith | 25 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Ball Player | Ouachita, LA | Ouachita, LA | $1,200.00 | 26 | $46.15 |
| Vic Harris | 34 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | $1,200.00 | 52 | $23.08 |
| Johnny Hayes | 30 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Newark | Newark | $1,200.00 | 52 | $23.08 |
| Phil Rizzuto (minor leagues) | 22 | White | MLB & Minors | Baseball Player | New York | New York | $1,200.00 | 52 | $23.08 |
| Ray Johnson | 26 | White | NFL (Rams/Cards) | Football Player (Def. back) | Denver | Jefferson, CO | $1,050.00 | 26 | $40.38 |
| John "Buck" O'Neil | 28 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Baseball Player | Sarasota, FL | Sarasota, FL | $1,000.00 | 30 | $33.33 |
| Richard Lundy | 41 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Newark | Newark | $1,000.00 | 52 | $19.23 |
| James "Cool Papa" Bell | 36 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Ball Player | St. Louis | St. Louis | $980.00 | 28 | $35.00 |
| William L. Staples (my grandfather) | 41 | White | My grandfather | Truck Keeper | West Wyoming, PA | West Wyoming, PA | $975.00 | 52 | $18.75 |
| Robert Clayton Bailey (wife's great-uncle) | 43 | Negro | Negro League | Ret. ballplayer / Elevator Operator | Dallas | Dallas | $950.00 | 52 | $18.27 |
| Harry Williams | 37 | Negro | Negro League | Base Ball Player | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | $900.00 | 30 | $30.00 |
| Sammy Hughes | 30 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Louisville, KY | Louisville, KY | $875.00 | 20 | $43.75 |
| Frank F Fukuda | 51 | Japanese | Nisei League | Teacher / Minister | Seattle | Seattle | $845.00 | 52 | $16.25 |
| Jesse Walker | 28 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Nashville | Nashville | $840.00 | 26 | $32.31 |
| Chet Brewer | 33 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | $800.00 | 26 | $30.77 |
| Josh Gibson (actual $8,500, per C. Posey) | 28 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Ball Player | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | $800.00 | 26 | $30.77 |
| Fred Bankhead | 27 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Memphis | Birmingham, AZ | $800.00 | 42 | $19.05 |
| Merrit Corbett (my great-grandfather) | 46 | White | MLB & Minors | Ret. ballplayer / Laborer | Green Island, NY | Green Island, NY | $700.00 | 52 | $13.46 |
| O'Neil Pullen | 44 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Bakersfield, CA | New York | $700.00 | 26 | $26.92 |
| Ruben Jones | 44 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Memphis | Dallas | $600.00 | 25 | $24.00 |
| Parnell Woods | 26 | Negro | Negro League | Baseball Player | Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville, FL | $250.00 | 21 | $11.90 |
| Stan Musial (minor leagues) | 19 | White | MLB & Minors | Baseball Player | Daytona Beach, FL | Donora, PA | $225.00 | 13 | $17.31 |
| Harry Kono | 52 | Japanese | Nisei League | Florist, Sports Promoter | Oakland | Oakland | $0.00 | 52 | $0.00 |
| Steere Gikaku Noda | 48 | Japanese | Nisei League | Attorney, Sports Promoter | Honolulu | Honolulu | $0.00 | 52 | $0.00 |
| Andy Yamashiro | 44 | Japanese | Nisei League | Ret. ballplayer / Proprietor | Honolulu | Honolulu | $0.00 | 52 | $0.00 |
| Fred Yoshikawa | 41 | Japanese | Nisei League | Ret. ballplayer / Insurance Agent | Fresno | Fresno | $0.00 | 52 | $0.00 |
| Russell Hinaga | 37 | Japanese | Nisei League | Ballplayer / Farmer | San Jose | San Jose | $0.00 | 52 | $0.00 |
| Jesse Hubbard | 44 | Negro | Negro League | Ball Player | Los Angeles | New York | $0.00 | 30 | $0.00 |
| Ray Dandridge | 25 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Baseball Player | Newark | Newark | $0.00 | 26 | $0.00 |
| Raleigh "Biz" Mackey | 42 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | Baseball Player | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $0.00 | 20 | $0.00 |
| James Cleveland (JC) Jesse Owens | 26 | Negro | Athlete | Professional Runner | Cleveland | Cleveland | $0.00 | 38 | $0.00 |
| Leroy "Satchel" Paige (actual $40,000 in 1944) | 34 | Negro | Negro League (HOF) | No record located | | | | | $0.00 |
| Bob Feller (actual $35,000 in 1939) | 21 | White | MLB & Minors | No record located | | | | | $0.00 |
A few observations and comments:
- A reminder that those who reported $5,000 might have actually earned more than that amount, as is the case with Joe DiMaggio, who earned $27,500 in 1939.
- White MLB rookies (Ted Williams and Dizzy Trout) and minor leaguers (Phil Rizutto and Stan Musial) appear to have incomes comparable to seasoned Negro Leaguers.
- Negro Leaguers Leroy Matlock, Sam Bankhead, Williard Brown, and Norman "Turkey" Stearnes earned more than the national average. In fact, Matlock earned $2,400.00 in 24 weeks of work, making him one of the highest per-week earners at $100.00 a week.
- The Green Bay Packers won the professional football championship in 1939, so to compare athletes in other sports I included Milt Gantenbein, a member of the Packers who scored a touchdown in the championship game.
- Japanese American baseball players are also included for comparison, and while he was past his prime and working in agriculture, it was surprising to see former Fresno Athletic Club outfielder Harvey Iwata reporting earnings of $5,000+. Although it is a small sample size, it's worth noting that the majority of Japanese Americans I choose to investigate did not share their annual income, perhaps a reflection of reciprocal mistrust stemming from pre-war anti-Japanese sentiment in the U.S. at the time.
- Finally, I included a few relatives for perspective and was surprised to learn that my great-grandfather Merrit Corbett ($700), my wife's great-uncle Robert Bailey ($950), and my grandfather William L. Staples ($975), all earned less than the national average of $1,368 in 1939.
Conclusion
The above research just scratches the surface when it comes to our knowledge of the income of historically-marginalized ballplayers from the Nikkei and Negro Leagues. However, it is fascinating to learn that based on this small sample size that some Negro League players, relative to the national average, earned a fair salary.
For those interested in diving into the 1940 Census to conduct your own research, keep the following search tips in mind:
- Occupation (variation): Baseball, Base Ball, Ball Player
- Race: Negro, Black (some players with fair complexion, like Ray Brown, classified as white)
- Birth year: expand search +/- 5 to 10 years
- Birth location: not always the same as what's reported on Seamheads.com
Photo: HOFer Ben Taylor (1888-1953), top reported income
for Negro Leaguers in the 1940 Census.
