The Elias Sports Bureau is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 company that provides historical

History of sport

The history of sports probably extends as far back as the existence of people as purposive sportive and active beings. Sport has been a useful way for people to increase their mastery of nature and the environment. The history of sport can teach us a great deal about social changes and about the...

 research and statistical

Statistics

Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....

 services in the field of professional sports

Professional sports

Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...

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In 1913

1913 in sports

-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Auburn Tigers, Chicago Maroons and Harvard Crimson -Association football:England...

, Al Munro Elias and his brother Walter established the Al Munro Elias Bureau in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. At first they sold printed scorecards with baseball data directly to fans, until The Telegram daily newspaper purchased their weekly compilation of "averages" in 1916. Elias was appointed official statistician of the National League and International League in 1919 with the American League and other minor leagues to follow.(IJSHOF)

In 1937, Elias assumed publication of Charley White's Record Book, the so-called Little Red Book, after the death of its originator.(AP New London) It became an official (authorized) source for major league records.