THE JOY OF EFFORT THE STORY OF GYMNASTICS AT SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE WkM i] •¥BVr^yl;^HM v /J P w IH 1& The mosf famous tableau of all, "Aspiration Of Youth". The photo was taken by Life Magazine in 1939. — 2 — THE JOY OF EFFORT The story of gymnastics at Springfield College FOREWORD This narrative is a minute piece of contemporary history. The references to men and women who have earned A man must possess more than just a bit of temerity to special recognition, who were team captains, or who presume to tell the story of gymnastics at Springfield College. represented the College as gymnasts is arbitrary at best. This has been no idle attempt to chronicle a series of events, Since records we researched are incomplete, important but rather an effort to capture the very heart and soul of a names may be missing. We hope you will accept such most exciting and colorful story. omissions as accidental and unintentional. Also we hope As usual, reality proved more stimulating than romance. you will tell us about any omissions, so records can be Thus, there was no need to improve on those shining hours up-dated. in Springfield's gymnastic history. Since our efforts in gather­ A publication of this sort costs money . money the ing information were in no way notable, we have recorded Alumni Office does not have. But for the remarkable fund- ail details of our findings. Af times we were dazzled during raising talents of Emerson Dun ton '56, this publication our research as we came upon a deep treasure and knew it. would never have seen the light of day. Thus all followers We must confess to a feeling of melancholy satisfaction of Springfield gymnastics owe Emerson a large vote of as the last word of this narrative was put on paper. While thanks. we have always respected gymnasts and their coaches, The 1969 Fall Homecoming Committee also comes in for writing this story doubled this respect and admiration. To its share of laurels for its imagination and diligence in gather facts we interviewed selected gymnasts from various planning this first All-Gymnastic Reunion. The knowing decades, reviewed numerous "Massasoits" and "Student" voices of the men and women who served on the committee publications, and studied many old and new films of Spring­ should result in pleasurable memories for all. field's gymnastic teams. Another source of invaluable in­ And so we present to you the dramatic story of gymnastics formation was a doctoral thesis, prepared by Dr. Walter F. at Springfield College from 1905 to 1970. Oh yes . the Ersing '54, entitled, "The Life and Work of Leslie James lovely young lady gracing the cover of this publication is judd." Ersing, a former Springfield gymnast and team Judy Markell '72 of Montclair, New Jersey. We have captain, is now a professor in Physical Education at Ohio come a long way, indeed, since 1905. State University. We express gratitude and appreciation to Ersing for his splendid publication, combining, as it does, presence and persuasion. - Harold G. Lynch '41 DEDICATION This publication is in honor of Springfield's first All-Gymnastic Reunion held on Saturday, November 8, 1969 at the Highpoint Motor Inn in Chicopee, Mass. The event, held as an important part of Fall Homecoming, was planned by the following: Emerson Dunton '56 Douglas Verney '67 Willard St. Cyr '59 Frank Wolcotf '52 Reg Alden '21 Kathy Tetreault '63 Irvin Schmid '43 Richard Aronson '58 Pamela Dameron '67 Ian Heller '68 Thomas Auchterlonie '67 Robert James '54 Mimi Murray '61 Robert Dixon '60 Peter Bacon '65 Diane Potter '57 Ha! Lynch '41 At the Committee's suggestion, the publication is dedicated to Dr. ! J. Judd '20, Coach, Teacher, and Friend to Springfield men and women everywhere. THE JOY OF EFFORT Now and then an incident will occur which puts one in the ball to the half-back rather than sending it back end the mood of those old-fashioned narratives set in a London over end as was the custom in all college football at the club, all port and porters and brandy after dinner, in which, time. There was no erosion of imagination at Springfield after three pages of good living, some silver-haired old during those early days. buffer says, "It's odd that you should mention Rutherford's Much later, in 1941, the College was to introduce disappearance, because there is an interesting story behind another idea info the field of intercollegiate athletics. In it." Such is the situation at a time when men and women that year Irvin Schmid, now varsity soccer coach, buf then who have represented Springfield College in gymnastics on exceptionally brilliant soccer player, served in one over the years get together for a reunion. If you listen football game as the team's kick-off specialist, thus intro­ carefully, you will hear these reunited gymnasts asking ducing the soccer player os o football kicking specialist, about Wilbur Batchelor, George Garniss, Reg Alden, Earl now an idea copied by many colleges ond professional Taraldsen, Turner Dickerson, Rene Kern, Mac MacGregor, football teams. Tony Yuasa, Lyle Welser, Joe Mixie, Clive Smith, Bob So there were giants on the Springfield campus who Parsons, Henry Etheridge, Sam Correnti, Bob Freeman, Jeff made an impact important enough to gain some distinction Cardinali, Kathy Corrigan, Andrea Hyland, Bruce Wright, around the country for the small college on a sandy hili in Tommy Auchterlonie, Bob Cargill, Willard Ashbrook, Springfield. It's interesting to note that had it not been for Francis Luoma, John Seeley, Hartley Price, Clyde Shotz- o change in philosophy and policy very early in the history barger, Rudy Matousek and so many other great gymnasts of the school, gymnastics may never have gained prominence in the history of the College. at Springfield. Started in 1885 as a School for Christian The dramatic story of gymnastics of Springfield can't be Workers, in 1890 it became the YMCA Training School, fully told without a brief look at the campus and the College and a year later the International YMCA Training School. in 1905, the year of the first organized team. The school Until 1 891 only those who aspired to become a professional wasn't much to look at in those days. The sandy hill area in YMCA work could enter, but then the program was overlooking Lake Massasoit wasn't conducive to the growth opened to qualified men who intended to enter any field of grass, consequently, the small maintenance crew then a of service for youth. According to Springfield's ninth Presi­ part of the Training School, worked long hours trying to dent, Wilbert E. Locklin, "If that bit of evolution had not encourage a good growth of grass. Only three buildings taken place, we would have denied admission to Amos were on the campus — one gymnasium, now known as East Alonzo Stagg, one of the great Springfield men in the Gym,-Woods Hall, then a dining hall,-and a dormitory which history of physical education, and James Naismith, who also doubled as an administration building. This dormitory, invented basketball on this campus." in fact, is today (1969) the Administration Building. There The College would also have denied admission to those were less than 300 students, all men, on campus at the time. men who brought gymnastics to Springfield. David Allen Reed, the founder of the College, was The year 1905 is remembered for another reason in motivated to do so because he saw the need for courses of addition to its significance in the history of gymnastics. In study in Bible and church history for young men. Thus the that year the school was given the power to grant degrees school was opened on January 5, 1885 in the old Hope of Bachelor and Master of Humanics, and Bachelor and Church Chapel. Local churchmen and a physician were Master of Physical Education by the Department of Education pressed into service as instructors. of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but that is not our After a move to Winchester Square for a brief period, interest in this brief history of gymnastics at Springfield. In the Training School became firmly established on a newly purchased thirty acre tract of land overlooking Lake Massasoit. By 1905 the course of study had been extended to three years and a thesis based on original research was required of every student to earn a diploma. Despite the small number of students and the unattractive appearance of the new campus, the Training School had made an impact in its twenty years of life. For example, a man named Luther H. Gulick, a combination of the reflective and the active, who joined the faculty in 1887 as Director of the Department of Physical Education, was beginning to gain national fame for his research and discovery on the harmful effects of cigarette smoking. This was many years before a similar announcement by the Surgeon General of the United States. Under his leadership in those days, physical education as a profession was beginning to gain important status, at least in New England. Also in those early days the game of basketball was invented by a faculty member, Dr. James Naismith. Another alumnus, John Morgan, had invented volleyball at just about this time; and football coach, Dr. James McCurdy, had recently The 1917 team: top row; Harry Abbott, Charles Dahlgren, Herman started experimenting with an entirely new concept. He Hillebrandt, Coach Louis Schroeder, Frank Lenhardt. Middle row; Fred Bode, Leon Kranz, Captain Les Judd, Clifford Horton, John Jefferson. suggested to his varsity football center that he spiral-pass First row,- Carroll Bryant, Charles Wilson.