Abe Isoo

Early life and education Abe was born in Fukuoka on 4 February 1865. He entered at Doshisha University in 1879, and got baptized by Joseph Hardy Neesima at February 2, 1882. It was while he was studying in Hartford that he became interested in socialism. He occupied some important positions in the university like a dean of first School of Political Science and Economics and University Vice President. In 1901 he helped to found the short-lived Japanese Social Democratic Party, which the government swiftly prohibited. He used this as a soapbox to promote parliamentary socialism. In 1930, Abe became the first chairman of the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. After World War II, he also became the first chairman of .

He is called the 'Father of Baseball in Japan' or the 'Father of Student Baseball' in Japan because of such contributions. Totsuka Ground, the main stadium of Waseda's baseball team changed its name to Abe Ground in 1949, following Abe's death. When the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame was opened in 1959, he was inducted into the hall.

Selected Works Shakai mondai kaishakuhō (Social Problem Interpretation Methods). Tokyo Senmon Gakko. (1901) Shūkyō to seinen no genki (Religion and the Vitality of Youth). Rikugō zasshi, no. 284. (1904) Yakyū to gakusei (Baseball and the Student). Co-authored with Oshikawa Shurō; Kobundō shoten. (1911) "Shisō no zendō to sanji seigen" (The Advance of Thought and Birth Limitation). Bunka seikatsu magazine. (1924) Futsū senkyo to Musan seitō (Universal Suffrage and the Proletarian Party). Nihon Fabian Society. (1927) Shakai minshūtō kōryō (Platform of the Social Democratic Party). Kurara sha. (1929) Kokumin no shinpan ni uttō (An Appeal to the Judgment of the People). Senshinsha. (1930) Sangyō hōkan ron (Theory of Industrial Stewardship). Chikura shobo. (1932) Watashi no chūkun aikoku kan (My View of Loyalty and Patriotism). Kensetsusha. (1943)