Mead Steps Down as President of National Baseball Hall of Fame

The President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in nearby Cooperstown has stepped down, effective in mid-May.

Tim Mead announced on Friday he was walking away from baseball's shrine.

“I have been extremely blessed as a life-long fan of the game to spend four decades serving the organization I grew up admiring, and then have the distinct honor and privilege of assuming the role of President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum,” Mead said. “The driving force behind my career in baseball has always been love of the game.

Mead became Hall president on April 30, 2019, and took over that June 24th from Jeff Idelson, who had held the job since 2008.

“I made the recent leap with every intention of following in the footsteps of my predecessors, in continuing their efforts in maintaining the Hall of Fame as a critical component of the game,” Mead continued. “Try as I might, even with the unwavering support of my family, these last 22 months have been challenging in maintaining my responsibilities to them," he said.

Mead thanked Jane Forbes Clark and the staff in Cooperstown for their "dedication and commitment to Preserving History, Honoring Excellence and Connecting Generations."

“It is with regret that the Executive Committee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors accepted Tim Mead’s resignation,” said Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “As a respected member of the baseball community, Tim has served the game of baseball for decades. His genuine appreciation for the game’s history and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will be greatly missed by us.”

Prior to taking the job with the HOF, Mead enjoyed a 40-year career working for the Los Angeles Angels organization, including the previous 22 years as the team’s Vice President of Communications. Mead is a native of Athens, Greece, and a 1980 graduate of Cal Poly in Pomona, Calif., Mead began his career in baseball as an intern in the Angels’ Public Relations department in 1980.

Mead was the seventh president of the Hall of Fame since it was created 82 years ago.