The Legacy of Ty Cobb
Tyrus “Ty” Cobb was a professional American baseball player from 1905 to 1928. Originally from Royston, Georgia, Cobb played center field for Major League Baseball teams ranging from the Detroit Tigers to the Philadelphia Athletics. Cobb was an inaugural inductee in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Although Ty Cobb’s top annual salary as a baseball player was less than $40,000, his shrewd investments made him a financial success at an early age.
One of the many investments that contributed to his early success was the purchase of stock in a little-known Southern beverage company called Coca-Cola.
Cobb’s financial prosperity eventually allowed him to establish the Ty Cobb Educational Fund n 1953 that has to date assisted thousands of Georgians to attend college through scholarships.
Upon Cobb’s death in 1961, a quarter of Cobb’s estate was dedicated to the foundation for continued support of scholarships awarded to Georgians pursuing higher education at accredited institutions in the state. Both undergraduate and students pursuing their MD/DO or DMD/DDS degrees who are residents of the State of Georgia, are U.S. citizens and have demonstrated financial need are eligible to apply for Ty Cobb scholarships.
All scholarships are granted without subsequent obligation of the student to the Foundation; however, former recipients and others are urged to make contributions to the Ty Cobb Educational Foundation when circumstances permit.
As of April 2024 scholarships have been awarded totaling $21,064,024.