ATHENS, Ohio -- Charles Alexander, Ohio University distinguished professor of history, recently received the Seymour Medal for his latest book, "Breaking the Slump: Baseball in the Depression Era." The Seymour Medal is awarded each year by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) for the best book in baseball history or biography published the previous year.

Alexander has spent more than 40 years as a history professor, and for more than 20 years he has taught courses on baseball and sports history. Since 1995, more than 3,000 Ohio University students have learned about baseball and its place in American history through Alexander's classes, "American Baseball to 1930" and "American Baseball since 1930."

Alexander was recognized in the 2002 edition of "Who's Who in America." He has written several other baseball-related books, including "Our Game: An American Baseball History" and biographies about Ty Cobb, John McGraw and Rogers Hornsby.

During the spring of 2002, Alexander taught at the University of Missouri at Rolla as the Maxwell C. Weiner Distinguished Professor of Humanities. The Cass County, Texas, native earned his bachelor's degree from Lamar University and his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Texas.