Amanda Clement
The first paid female umpire in baseball, she commanded respect on the diamond with her authoritative calls and exceptional all-around athleticism.
1888–1971 (age 83)·American baseball umpire·Birthday: March 20·The Lost Generation
Biography
Amanda Clement didn't ask for permission to enter a man's world; she simply stepped onto the field and proved she belonged. Hired in 1904 at age 16 to umpire a semi-pro game in Iowa after the scheduled official failed to appear, her fairness and deep knowledge of the game quickly made her a sought-after official across the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Iowa. For six summers, she traveled the circuit, earning up to $25 per game—a significant sum—and was known for ejecting players, including her own brother, for arguing. Her authority was rooted in her own prowess: a multi-sport star who set world records in shot put and sprinting, and excelled in basketball and tennis. Clement later became a physical education instructor, using her platform to advocate for women's sports and the value of athletic discipline.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Amanda was born in 1888, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amanda Was Born
The biggest hits of 1888
Amanda's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1888Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1893Started school
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Became a teenager
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1904Could drive
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could vote
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Turned 21
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1918Turned 30
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1928Turned 40
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1938Turned 50
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 60
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 70
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 80
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Died at 83
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman paid to umpire baseball games, starting her professional career in 1904.
- Umpired semi-professional and amateur baseball games regularly for six years across the Upper Midwest.
- Was a celebrated multi-sport athlete, credited with world records in the shot put and in sprinting.
- Worked as a physical education teacher and coach, promoting athletics for women for decades.
Did You Know?
She once threw a baseball 275 feet, a distance that would rival many male players of her era.
She attended Yankton College and the University of Nebraska.
Her brother, Hank Clement, was a baseball player whose team originally hired her to umpire.
She never married, stating, 'I couldn't give up my baseball.'
“I loved baseball. I would have umpired for nothing, but I was the first woman to be paid for it.”
