.
By Agnes Crietzberg
Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
This collection offers a good overall picture of the Women's Gymnastics Program at EKU during its short history. It includes photographs, news clippings, schedules, rosters and correspondence for every year of the program's existence. Program objectives, rules and routine requirements, statistics and even poetry written by and in honor of the gymnasts can also be found in this collection. Anyone interested in women's athletics at Eastern will find this collection useful.
Collection Historical Note
Tumbling and gymnastics exercise was a part of the instructional program when physical education moved into the new Weaver Health Building in 1931. Demonstration and performance groups were part of physical education program from time to time as interest warranted.
In 1964 Mr. Charles "Turkey" Hughes hired Dr. Barney Groves who worked with the gymnastics program at Eastern. Gymnastics was a club sport and provided a means for talented students to develop their skill and to perform in gymnastics exhibitions. Mr. Hughes supported the educational idea that collegiate competition should be developed from strong intramural and club sports programs. Intercollegiate gymnastics at Eastern received impetus from the earlier club sports programs.
The women's competitive program began to develop under the leadership of Dr. Ann Uhlir who became the Coordinator of the Department of Physical Education for Women in 1965. In 1970 the Department developed "A Statement of Belief" which served as the guiding philosophy during the time that women's athletic programs were housed in the Department of Physical education. At that time resources available for intercollegiate sports for women were limited. The athletic program was able to prosper because women faculty members served as volunteer coaches. Athletics was seen as part of the academic program and was part of one's professional obligation to the Department. When faculty members were not available, graduate assistants were appointed as coaches. The gymnastic program was initiated with graduate assistants as coaches since there were no faculty members with expertise in that area.
Biographical Note
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.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives
Acquisition Source:
Chrietzberg, Agnes
Related Materials:
P.J. Novak Papers
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[Box 2],
[
Folder OS 1: Oversize Photographs],
[
All]
- Box 2
- Barcode: 31234014059677
- Folder 1: Gymnastics Competitive Season, 1980-81
- Roster and Schedule, Affidavit of Eligibility, Coach's Report, Summary of Year - Scoring Analysis, AIAW, Gymnastics Composite Score Sheet, Official Score Sheets, 8th Annual KWIC Championship, Results, AIAW Region II, Division Championship, Meet information, Funding Request, Official Score Sheets, Results, AIAW National Championship - Division I, Program, Vault Difficulties, Team Rosters, Results, Correspondence with gymnasts, Budget for year
- Folder 2: Gymnastics Competitive Season, 1981-82
- Roster and Schedule, Coach's Report, Summary of Year - Scoring Analysis, Intersquad Meet, Official Score Sheets, AIAW Region II, Division Championship, AIAW Region II Handbook Excerpts, Participation Request, Official Score Sheets, Results
- Folder 3: Program Objectives, 1974-1982
- Pre-season conditioning, Christmas News, Rules and routine requirements, Judging symbols, Balance beam combinations, structure groups, vaulting regulations, Uneven bars requirements, Balance beam requirements, Floor exercise requirements, Optionals: Clarifications and Changes, Sample score sheets (4 events), Routine difficulties for individual gymnasts - Uneven parallel bars, Team Records - Team, Personal, and Individual Bests, Notification to parents and gymnasts: Termination of funding for Women's Gymnastics, Poem by gymnasts, Rhonda Wilkerson - "You Know Success Because...", Poem by Peggy Stanaland - "An Ode to the Gymnasts"
- Folder 4: Publicity
- Item 1: News Paper Articles, 1978
- "Eastern Makes HEW Bias List", The Eastern Progress August 31, 1978
- Item 2: News Paper Articles, 1979
- Courier-Journal, "Graham Starts, but U of L Gymnasts Lose", Congratulatory letter from Martha Mullins
- Item 3: News Paper Articles, 1979
- Lexington Herald, "Eastern's Wilkerson Tumbling to Success"
- Item 4: News Paper Articles, 1980
- "A Kiss for Luck" - (picture), The Eastern Progress, 1980
- Item 5: News Paper Articles, 1981
- Cancellation of Women's Gymnastics Program (picture), The Eastern Progress. October 29, 1981
- Item 6: News Paper Articles, 1981
- "Gymnasts Second in KWIC; Look to Regional and U of L", The Eastern Progress, 1981
- Item 7: News Paper Articles, 1981
- "A Perched Bird" (picture), The Eastern Progress, 1981
- Item 8: News Paper Articles, 1981
- "Nationals-Bound Wilkerson Leads Women gymnasts in Regional", The Eastern Progress, 1981
- Item 9: News Paper Articles, 1981
- "Consistency is Trademark of Gymnast Wilkerson", (article and picture), Richmond Register. April, 3, 1981
- Item 10: News Paper Articles, 1981
- "Women Seek win over Western," The Eastern Progress. 1981
- Item 11: News Paper Articles, 1982
- "On the 'Behne'" - (picture), The Eastern Progress, 1982
- Item 12: Magazine Article, 1980
- "Eastern Gymnasts Vault into National Prominence." Kentucky Sports World. Vol.3, No. 5 (January. 1980).
- Folder 5: Title IX
- Item 1: Strategies for change: How to Make Your Recommendations Happen, 1977
- Item 2: Articles from Chronicle of Higher Education, 1979
- Item 3: EKU Women's Gymnastics Inventories, 1977-1980
- Inventories of uniforms, equipment and supplies.
- Item 4: Analysis of the New Title IX Athletics Policy Interpretation, undated
- By Squires, Sanders & Dempsey. Distributed by the NCAA.
- Item 5: HEW Final Policies on Title IX/Athletics, undated
- By Renouf & Polivy. Distributed by AIAW.
- Item 6: Agnes Chrietzberg to Rebecca Broaddus, 1978
- Letter expressing concern over gender bias in athletics.
- Item 7: Interested Coaches' to Martha Mullins, 1978
- Memo to Assistant Athletic Director, Martha Mullins regarding coaches' meeting procedures.
- Item 8: EKU Women's Intercollegiate Coaches to Martha Mullins, 1978
- Letter describing discriminatory practices at EKU.
- Item 9: Naming Women or Why Should Women Object to Being Called ________?, undated
- By Robin Lakoff.
- Item 10: Memos regarding Gymnastics Equipment, 1976-1980
- Item 11: EKU Women's Intercollegiate Coaches to Dean Russell Bogue, 1980
- Letter regarding changes to procedures relating to budget preparation.
- Item 12: EKU Women's Intercollegiate Coaches to William Thomas, 1978
- Letter filing Title IX complaint to US Office of Civil Rights (OCR).
- Item 13: W.M. Saddler to Agnes Chrietzberg, 1980
- Letter from Office of Civil Rights (OCR) acknowledging receipt of complaint
- Item 14: Agnes Chrietzberg to Louis O. Bryson, 1980
- Letter form Agnes Chrietzberg, Gymnastics Coach regarding confidentiality accompanied by an unsigned Notification Form Concerning the Privacy Act of 1974.
- Item 15: Samantha Ritchie to Agnes Chrietzberg, 1980
- Letter from WEAL Fund offering advice and support. Enclosure lists colleges with pending Title IX cases.
- Item 16: Louis O. Bryson to Agnes Chrietzberg, 1980
- Letter acknowledging receipt of the unsigned Notification Form Concerning the Privacy Act of 1974 and a copy of the form.
- Item 17: Memo from Doug Whitlock, 1983
- Regarding OCR follow-up visit including schedules.
- Item 18: Agnes Chrietzberg to Stan Theune, OCR, 1983
- Memo regarding subsidized visits of prospective gymnasts.
- Item 19: William H. Thomas to Agnes Chrietzberg, 1983
- Letter from OCR regarding completion of Title IX investigation
- Item 20: Statement of Findings, Office of Civil Rights, 1983
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