By Bobby Hart, Heidi Taylor-Caudill
Title: Athletic Director's Office Records, 1926-2011
Predominant Dates:1970-1989
Primary Creator: Athletic Director, Office of
Extent: 41.28 Cubic Feet
Date Acquired: 09/29/1978. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, Athletics., Athletics for women., College sports-Law and legislation., Intercollegiate sports, Intramural sports, Kentucky Women's Intercollegiate Conference, Ohio Valley Conference., Title IX., Women athletes.
Languages: English
The Athletic Director's Office Records documents the evolution of athletics at Eastern Kentucky University, as well as the activities of team and individual sports programs. Also documented is the effect of Title IX on sports participation at the university. The collection includes statistics, scorebooks, schedules, scrapbooks, programs, correspondence, meeting minutes, press releases, news clippings, media guides, and other information related to the athletics department at Eastern Kentucky University. The information in the collection covers the years 1926-2011, though the bulk of the material dates from 1970-1989.
The collection is organized into six series: Administrative Files, Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Director, Sports Information Director, Intercollegiate Sports, Intramural Sports, and Research on Graduation Rates of EKU Athletes.
The Intercollegiate Sports series has been subdivided into twenty-seven subseries: baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's and women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's golf, women's golf, men's and women's golf, men's gymnastics, women's gymnastics, rifle team, softball, men's swimming, women's swimming, men's and women's swimming, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's and women's tennis, men's track and field, women's track and field, men's and women's track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.
The Intramural Sports series has been subdivided into six subseries: bowling, boxing, Catalina Club, cheerleading, judo, and trap and skeet team.
Intercollegiate athletics for both men and women have been an integral part of Eastern Kentucky University since its inception in 1906. The position of athletic director had been around for many years, but it became more institutionalized in 1928 when Thomas E. McDonough assumed leadership. McDonough was largely responsible for overseeing the construction of the Weaver Health Building (1931), and Old Hanger Stadium (1936). After McDonough's resignation in 1942, Charles "Turkey" Hughes took over the position. Mr. Hughes was responsible for restarting athletic programs which were temporarily dismantled due to World War II. In 1961, Glenn Presnell took over the job as athletic director. Presnell was director during a period of rapid expansion at the university. During his administration, Alumni Coliseum (1962) and Roy Kidd Stadium (1969) were both constructed. Donald Combs assumed the position in 1971 and served as director until 1991. During his tenure, women's sports were returned to the university's program after being discontinued in the early 1930s.
The enactment of Title IX, an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in 1972 increased the opportunity for women to participate in sports. According to the policy, schools receiving federal funding had to provide men and women with equitable resources in educational programs and activities. There was some confusion at first over whether Title IX applied to college sports. The issue was resolved in 1974 with the Javits Amendment, which stated that Title IX included athletics. Like other schools, Eastern Kentucky University was required to comply with Title IX and offer financial aid, sports programs, and other opportunities to women in proportion to those offered to men.
When women's sports were reconstituted in 1973, a separate office, headed by Dr. Martha Mullins, was established to control their functions. However, in the early 1980s, the athletic offices were combined and they remain so today. Many changes have taken place in the Athletic Director's Office, but it continues to remain a vital part of Eastern Kentucky University.
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
Athletics.
Athletics for women.
College sports-Law and legislation.
Intercollegiate sports
Intramural sports
Kentucky Women's Intercollegiate Conference
Ohio Valley Conference.
Title IX.
Women athletes.
Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives
Accruals: 1978-050, 1978-052, 1981-037, 1982-032, 1984-019, 1991-011, 1994-004, 2000-004, 2004-027, 2004-037
Acquisition Source: Athletic Director's Office
Acquisition Method: Transfer
Finding Aid Revision History: 1986A006, 1989A4, 1990A1 and 1991A1 were combined with all unprocessed materials in 2014-2015. The new finding aid was published 9 Feb 2015.
