The largest and most diverse collection of Nolan Ryan cards and memorabilia is now on display in New Jersey.
As we reported earlier this year, the collection of more than 15,000 items was donated to Stockton University of Leo S. Ullman, an avid Ryan collector.
A new “pop-up” exhibit comprising some of the items is now open, with items spread across five different facilities.
If it was associated with Ryan, Ullman wanted it. Among the items on display are cards, an autographed horse saddle, game-worn items artwork and display cases of baseball cards.
“I tried to get a cross-section of memorabilia that the donor had collected that told the story of Nolan Ryan,” said Michael Cagno, the executive director of the Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton. “It’s called a pop-up exhibit because it’s not long-term. But pop-ups are also tied to baseball, and the five sites are like the four bases of a baseball diamond and the pitching mound where Ryan dominated during his remarkable 27-year career.
Ullman, a real estate investor and former shopping mall owner, was hoping to find a place to put his years of collecting Ryan to good use. The university is also developing a class to be offered in the spring that’s tied to the collection, which is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world and is appraised as worth more than $1 million.
Ullman had accumulated more than 8,500 baseball cards, about 3,000 of which are signed by the pitcher who threw seven no-hitters. His collection was featured on MLB.com last year.
The Richard E. Bjork Library in Galloway, Kramer Hall in Hammonton, Stockton University at Manahawkin and the Noyes Arts Garage and Stockton’s campus in Atlantic City are all hosting portions of the collection until Dec. 11. A public reception for the exhibit will be held 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Arts Garage, and Ullman will attend.
“We’ve had calls from all over the country about Stockton receiving the collection,” said Dan Nugent, vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Stockton University Foundation. “Our faculty and students will be making use of the items in the spring, but we wanted to get some of them on display as soon as possible to give the public access.”
Cagno said the largest display is at the Arts Garage. The walls of the room are painted in the orange and blue colors of the Houston Astros, the team that Ryan spent nine seasons with.
The exhibit at Kramer Hall features display cases and wall art. Other items, including hats and statutes, are on display in Manahawkin and on the second floor of the John F. Scarpa Academic Center in Atlantic City. Throughout all the sites are cards detailing Ryan’s career and lesser-known facts about his life, including that he would soak his fingers in pickle juice between games to help prevent blisters.
“The goal was to really tie in the different sites,” Cagno said. “Your true die-hard fan, maybe they could go to all of the sites and then also get to investigate Stockton at a different level.”
The Bjork Library is located at 101 Vera King Farris Drive in Galloway Township, NJ. The Noyes Arts Garage is at 2200 Fairmount Ave. in Atlantic City. The John F. Scarpa Academic Center is at 3711 Atlantic Ave. in Atlantic City. Kramer Hall is at 30 Front Street in Hammonton. Stockton University at Manahawkin is at 712 E. Bay Ave. in Stafford Township.
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