Curtis, Paul, sr.

Born at Wyandotte, KS (now Kansas City); deafened at 17 months from a head cold. Attended the Kansas School for the Deaf 1885-graduation 1901. His performance on the KSD baseball team caught the eyes of baseball scouts, but he resisted for a while as he was making good money as a clerk in a railroad freight office. Finally he signed up in 1902 with the Sedalia team in the Missouri Valley League as a pitcher. 1903, he went to Colorado Springs, from which he was drafted by an Atlanta club. In 1906, he went to the Western Association. Signed up by the New York Giants, he was sent to minor teams in the South but never got called up to New York. After a new contract and short time with the Washington Senators, he was farmed out to the St. Joseph team in the Western League. Not able to stand the climate there, he asked for and was released in 1906. Went to work for a plant nursery until retiring 16 years later. Married twice; first time to Ida Denton in 1907 ended in divorce, and second time in 1927 to Letha Spencer.