Suggested Research Topics - The Development of Women's Athletics: Making a Place for Women at Michigan
Twenty years after women were first admitted to the University of Michigan there were still few programs for women and no physical place on campus women could call their own. The Women's League began as an organization in 1890 but the building that now houses the League was not opened until 1929. Classes in physical education (first offered in 1894), the construction of Barbour Gymnasium for women (completed in 1898), and the organization of the Women's Athletic Association (1905), along with the Women's League, answered the need for programs and places women could call their own.
Even more than an athletic facility, Barbour Gymnasium was the center for women's social events. The Women's Athletic Association and the Women's League encompassed all athletic, recreation, and social activities for women. The two most prestigious positions for women students were the presidencies of the League and of WAA. What role did the development of women's athletics play in creating a sense of belonging for women students? What was the interaction of the women active in the Women's Athletic Association and the Women's League? What social issues were addressed by women active in these groups? Was the program of the WAA more inclusive than just support of women's athletics? What role did intramural athletics play in the life of women during the 1890s, the first half of the twentieth century, and in the 50s and early 60s. What happened to intramural women's athletics with the advent of Title IX support for women's intercollegiate sports?
How were these women's organizations portrayed in the newspapers and magazines of the day, including the Michigan Daily and the Michigan Alumnus? What happened to events initially organized as women's events, such as Michigras?
Examples of Primary Source Collections and Other Resources:
- Dean of Women. Records, 1940-1966. 3 feet.
- Myra Beach Jordan, Dean of Women, 1902-1922. Report, 1920. 1 item.
- Alice Crocker Lloyd, Dean of Women, 1930-1950. Papers, 1931-1950. 1 foot.
- Eliza Maria Mosher, Dean of Women, 1896-1902. Papers, 1846-1934. 4 feet.
- Department of Physical Education for Women. Records, 1923-1972. 8 feet.
- Margaret Bell, professor and director of physical education for women. Papers, 1919-1956. 6 feet.
- Women's Athletic Association. Records, 1905-1962. 2 feet.
- Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics. Records, 1879,1891-1955. 47 feet. Box 33.
- Eunice L. Burns, chair, Committee to Study Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, 1973. Papers, 1961-1977. 11 feet.
- Women's League. Records, 1891-1963. 33 feet and 1 outsized volume.
- Sheryl Szady. Dissertation. "The History of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women at the University of Michigan," 1987. (At the Hatcher Library).
- Marie Hartwig, professor and chair, physical education for women. Papers. 2 feet.
- Printed Sources such as campus newspapers and magazines.
In an effort to encourage creative thinking about possible research topics for students unfamiliar with archives and their inevitable complexities, archivists and student employees of the Bentley Historical Library have authored "suggested research topics ." The purpose of these is not to define a topic but rather to stimulate thinking about a topic where the holdings of the Bentley Library are particularly strong.