By Barry Lewis, Tulsa World Sports Writer 7/14/2002 Plans have been announced by the newly formed Mickey Mantle Memorial Trust for a museum honoring the Hall of Fame outfielder in his boyhood home of Commerce. "The whole area's excited about it, not just the people in Commerce," said Brian Waybright, vice chairman of the board of trustees. The MMMT, which is directed by seven trustees, was formed in January to develop and construct the Mickey Mantle Museum as a tourism center for baseball and sports fans, historians and collectors. Its goals are to collect and preserve the life and times of Mantle, nicknamed the Commerce Comet, through donated collections of books, other writings, photographs, graphic art, sculpture, films, videos and memorabilia. Mantle's widow, Merlyn, has agreed to serve on the Trust's advisory board. Among those Waybright said also had agreed to be advisers are four of Mantle's Yankees teammates -- Yogi Berra, Tony Kubek, Hank Bauer and Ralph Terry. 1969 Heisman winner Steve Owens also is on the board. "There have been other attempts (elsewhere) to start a Mantle museum, but they have fallen through due to lack of finances," Waybright said. "When folks see that we have the support of Merlyn Mantle and the Mantle family, that's going to be a big help in our drive." Waybright said the April 2000 dedication of Mickey Mantle Field sparked the drive to start a museum, which the Trust hopes to have completed "within three years." The process of site selection and acquisition, museum floor planning and architectural development is under way. Mantle, a three-time American League MVP, hit 536 homers with the New York Yankees from 1951-68. He still has the World Series record with 18 homers. Mantle began his pro career with Independence (Kan.) in the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League in 1949 before moving up to Joplin (Mo.) of the Western Association the next season. Voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1974, Mantle died at age 63 on Aug. 13, 1995. The Trust is a non-profit organization. Those persons interested in donating memorabilia or financial gifts can contact Waybright at (918) 540-2349, chairman Lee Jeffery at (918) 257-8774 or trustee Brent Brassfield at (918) 542-5545. Waybright also can be contacted by e-mail at bwaybright@neok.com.