Collection ID: UA036
Printable View Printable View
Ead Download EAD

Collection context

Summary

Creator:
IUPUI (Campus). Department of Tourism, Conventions & Event Management
Abstract:
The Indiana University School of Physical Education opened in 1866 as a private school for the instruction of gymnastic teachers and is the oldest continuously operated school of physical education in the country. The school's faculty and graduates have played a major role in the introduction of physical education into the public school curriculum and in the development of physical education as a discipline. The school, first known as the Turnlehrerseminar (Gymnastic Teachers' Seminary) and then as the Normal College of the American Gymnastic Union, was started by the American Turners, an athletic, cultural, and social organization founded by German immigrants in 1850. The school originally trained instructors for the athletic programs run by Turner societies, but by the late nineteenth century many of the school's graduates were teaching in public schools as school systems began adding physical education to their curriculum. The Normal College, which moved to Indianapolis in 1907, merged with Indiana University in 1941. In 1946 the school became a department within the Indiana University School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, then in 1971 became an autonomous school under its current name. Records include correspondence, minutes, faculty and student records, financial records, alumni records, publications, and other records.
Extent:
11 cubic feet (10 record cartons, 1 document case, and 1 flat box)
Language:
The materials are in English .
Preferred citation:

Cite as: School of Physical Education and Tourism Management Records, 1873-2004, Ruth Lilly Special Collections and Archives, IUPUI University Library, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

List of Important Dates in the School's History

1866 The national convention of Nord-Amerikanische Turnerbundes (North American Gymnastic Union, now known as the American Turners) voted in April to establish a school to train physical education instructors. The school (known in German as the Turnlehrerseminar or "gymnastic teachers' seminary") opened in New York City in November at the New York Turnverein under the direction of Henry Metzner.

1871 The school moved to Chicago and the first set of classes in this location began in January. George Brosius was named the director. The Great Chicago Fire in October destroyed the school's building and its contents.

1872 The school returned to the New York Turnverein in New York City. Metzner again served as director. The Turners' national convention instructed the school to begin making preparations to admit women.

1875 The school moved to Milwaukee. George Brosius, who had returned to his home town of Milwaukee after the Great Chicago Fire, served as the director of the school.

1877 Laura Gerlach became the first woman to enroll as a student at the school. She graduated in 1881.

1880 The Turners' national convention passed a resolution calling on its members to work for the introduction of physical education into the public schools.

1889 The school moved to Indianapolis while new facilities for the school were constructed in Milwaukee. The classes in Indianapolis were held in the gym of the Socialer Turnverein in the 200 block of East Maryland Street, and William Fleck, gymnastic instructor for the Socialer Turnverein, served as the school's director.

1891 The school returned to Milwaukee. George Brosius again served as the director.

1895 The school's first summer session was held in Milwaukee under the direction of Carl Betz, supervisor of physical education for the Kansas City, Missouri public schools and instructor for the Kansas City Turners.

1898 Brosius stepped down as director. Dr. Franz Pfister and Fritz Bock held the position between 1898 and 1902.

1902 George Wittich became the director.

1907 The school moved to Indianapolis and rented space in Das Deutsche Haus (the "German House," now known as the Athenaeum) at 401 E. Michigan Street. The school's name was changed to the Normal College of the North American Gymnastic Union (the "North" was dropped in 1919), and Karl Kroh became the new director.

1908 The Normal College Alumni Association was organized on June 20, 1908.

1909 Karl Kroh resigned as director. Emil Rath, the supervisor of physical education in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania public schools was named as the new director.

1910 Rath was named president of the Normal College. The Normal College Student Alliance was organized.

1913 The Trenton Flats, located at 516 N. New Jersey Street next to the Murat Theatre, was leased for use as a women's dormitory.

The Phi Epsilon Kappa professional fraternity was organized at the Normal College.

The first volume of The Gymnast, the Normal College yearbook, was published by students; the yearbook was put out annually through 1941.

1916 The Delta Psi Kappa professional sorority was organized at the Normal College.

1921 The Normal College leased a hotel and 15 acres of land at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the 1921 summer session. That fall the school purchased the site and named it Camp Brosius, in honor of George Brosius. Camp Brosius became the permanent home of the summer session.

1923 The Wadsworth Building at 1240 N. Broadway was leased to replace the Trenton Flats as the women's dormitory.

1932 The Normal College entered into an affiliation with Indiana University. Normal College students would take their first three years of courses at Indianapolis and their final year at Bloomington. The Normal College did not offer all of the courses needed to meet increasing requirements for teacher certification in many states. The affiliation resolved that problem.

The Millikan Home at 1304 N. Delaware was leased to replace the Wadsworth Building as the women's dormitory. The lease was canceled in 1934.

1934 Emil Rath resigned as president of the Normal College to take the job of director of physical education and health in the Indianapolis Public Schools. Dr. Carl B. Sputh, Sr. was named as the new president of the Normal College. Rudolph Schreiber was appointed dean of the Department of Theory and Practice in Physical Education and Emil Rinsch became dean of the Department of Education, Social Science and Language.

The possibility of merging the Normal College with Indiana University was first discussed.

1940 The national convention of the American Turners voted to give the trustees of the Normal College the authority to merge the school with a major university.

1941 The trustees voted to merge the school with Indiana University. The Normal College's name was officially changed to the Normal College of the American Gymnastic Union of Indiana University. The Normal College was an autonomous school within IU. Normal College students took the first two years of classes at Indianapolis and the last two years at Bloomington. Dr. Willard W. Patty, chairman of the Physical Welfare Department of the IU School of Education was appointed director with Clara Hester as his assistant. All graduates of the Normal College would be considered alumni of Indiana University, and Camp Brosius became the property of IU.

1946 Indiana University established the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation with Dr. Patty as dean. The Normal College became a division of the new school, and Clara Hester succeeded Patty as director.

1957 The Carl B. Sputh Memorial Scholarship and the William A. Stecher Honor Award were established.

1963 Clara Hester stepped down as director but continued teaching until her retirement in 1968. Lola Lohse was appointed director.

1966 The school celebrated its centennial anniversary with a special pageant prepared and performed by the students.

1969 Students could take their third year of classes at Indianapolis.

1970 Because of the deteriorating condition of the Athenaeum, the Normal College moved its classes to Lienert's Gym Camp at 1010 West 64th Street.

1971 Lohse's title was changed from director to dean.

1972 The school's named was changed to the Indiana University School of Physical Education. Students could take all of their classes at Indianapolis.

1977 Lola Lohse retired as dean and was succeeded by Paul Nicholas "Nick" Kellum.

1978 A scholarship award for full-time physical education students was established in honor of Clara Hester.

1982 The school moved into the Natatorium/Physical Education Building at 901 W. New York Street on the IUPUI campus. The school adopted a departmental structure with the creation of the Department of Physical Education, the Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports, and the Department of Athletics.

1986 The Lola L. Lohse Award was established.

1991 The Department of Athletics was transferred from the School of Physical Education to the Office of External Affairs.

1994 The Department of Restaurant, Hotel, Institutional, and Tourism Management (later renamed the Department of Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management) and the Department of Military Science were added to the School of Physical Education.

2002 The name of the school was changed to the Indiana University School of Physical Education and Tourism Management.

2009 Nick Kellum retired as dean and was succeeded by James "Jay" Gladden.

Scope and Content:

The collection consists mainly of records created after the school's move to Indianapolis in 1907. There are a few items from the school's years in Milwaukee, but none from its years in New York City and Chicago.

The strength of the collection is its coverage of the physical education activities of the school. There are relatively few records relating to the Department of Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management and the Department of Military Science. Records relating to the IUPUI intercollegiate athletics program, which was housed in the school from 1972 to 1991, are in record group UA 085.

The collection is divided into the following seventeen records:

Board of Trustees Records, 1873-1947, consist of articles of incorporation, bylaws, minutes, correspondence, reports, and other records related to the administrative body that managed the school prior to its merger with Indiana University. The run of minutes from 1907-1941 are the best source of information about the issues facing the trustees and the decisions that they made, most notably concerning the merger with Indiana University. Many of the pre-World War I records are in German.

Dean Records, 1941-1988, consist of annual reports and correspondence. After the merger with Indiana University, the chief administrative officer of the school held the title of director (1941-1971) and dean (1971-present). The records in this series document the development of the school after the 1941 merger and the activities of the schools leaders, especially Clara Hester, Lola Lohse, and Nick Kellum. The records also provide a good overview of the relationship between the school and the School of Health, Physical Recreation, and Recreation at IU-Bloomington.

Administrative Records, 1933-1981, consist of correspondence, minutes, and reports. These records deal with school committees, finances, and publicity.

Faculty Records, 1877-2009, consist of minutes, correspondence, salary information, and other records. This series documents the faculty salaries from 1907 to 1941 and the activities of the faculty organization from 1971 to 2009.

Student Records, 1907-1965, consist of admissions records, minutes, and other records. This series documents changes in school's student body (e.g., numbers of students, number of out-of-state students) and the activities of student organizations between 1909 and 1933. The admissions records are restricted for 75 years after the date of creation.

Department of Physical Education Records, 1981-2004, consist of correspondence, reports, and minutes. These records include records relating to the school's self-studies done in 1982 and 1992 in preparation for IUPUI accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the department's program review in 1998.

Department of Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management Records, 1993-1999, consist of issues of the department's newsletter and files on the development of the Bachelor of Science degree in tourism, conventions, and event management. The files about the degree contain background information about the history of the TCEM program at IUPUI.

Department of Military Science Records, 1978-1988, consist of general orders relating to the ROTC unit, event records, and promotional brochures.

Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports Records, 1978-1981, consist of intramural sports schedules.

Instruction Records, 1921-1960, consist of instructional plans and publications. These records illustrate the types of activities that were done in classes during the 1920s-1960s.

Camp Brosius Records, 1921-2009, consist of correspondence, minutes, newsletters, and publications. In 1921 the school purchased a resort hotel and fifteen acres of land at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin to use as the site of the school's summer session. Named for former school director George Brosius, the camp was also the site of a summer camp for children and as a vacation resort Indiana University employees and alumni. The IU Alumni Association managed the camp from 1974 until 2004, when responsibility for the camp was returned to the school.

Activities Records, 1908-2007, consist of correspondence and promotional publications for various activities sponsored by the school. These activities include commencement exercises held before the merger with Indiana University, the 1966 celebration for the centennial of the school's founding, athletic demonstrations, and lectures.

Publication Records, 1896-2007, consist school bulletins and course descriptions, newsletters, and promotional brochures. These records provide descriptions of the school's academic programs and activities over the years and show how the school has marketed itself.

History Records, 1901-1970, consist of published articles about the history of the school. Many of these articles were written when the school merged with Indiana University in 1941 or for the school's centennial in 1966.

Alumni Records, 1890-1993, consist of constitutions and bylaws, minutes, newsletters, correspondence, directories, and publications from the school's alumni association. These records provide information about the lives of the school's graduates and their interactions with their alma mater.

Related Organizations Records, 1924-1974, consist of publications and scrapbooks of Phi Epsilon Kappa and Delta Psi Kappa, national professional fraternities for physical education that were started at the school in 1913 and 1916, respectively.

Audio-Visual Records, 1966, consist of a filmed report (probably done by WRTV television station) about a student pageant done for the school's centennial and an episode of the program Coach's Corner, featuring WRTV sports director Tom Carnegie visiting the Normal College to interview faculty member and observe the students performing gymnastic exercises.

Accruals:

Presented by the School of Physical Education and Tourism Management, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1976-2009. A76-11, A77-7, A81-4, A85-9, A91-4, A91-20, A91-33, A91-38, A92-12, A2003/04-033, A2009/10-001.

Rules or conventions:
DACS-Describing Archives: A Content Standard
General note:

Rights Statement: The text of this webpage is available for modification and reuse under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License and the GNU Free Documentation License (unversioned, with no invariant sections, front-cover texts, or back-cover texts).

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Student records in these records are restricted for 75 years after creation. All other material is open to the public without restriction.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

The copyright laws of the United States (Title 17, United States Code)) govern the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.

PREFERRED CITATION:

Cite as: School of Physical Education and Tourism Management Records, 1873-2004, Ruth Lilly Special Collections and Archives, IUPUI University Library, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis.

CAMPUS:
IUPUI
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
University Library
755 West Michigan Street
Room 0133
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
CAMPUS:
IUPUI
CONTACT:
speccoll@iupui.edu