PAGE EIGHT
SECTION A
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
SUNDAY. MAY 28, 1939
Women Had To Work To Play
Naismith Opened Coed Swimming Class In 1912
By Lillian Fisher, c'41
women's freedom to play was as hard to obtain as their privilege to vote and to take part in the business world. Although there were a few classes in calisthenics and a course in hygiene open to women, it was 1912 before basketball, swimming, and baseball were included in the curriculum of the University for its fairer students. $ \textcircled{1} $
During the summer session of 1912, Dr. James Naismith director of physical education, taught a class of beginners in swimming. He also taught a few other gymnastics courses for teachers who expected to take charge of physical training in high schools. For this reason, most of the classes dealt principally with theory.
The sophomore women's basketball team of 1916 played the first out-of-town game with the Kansas City Polytechnic girl's team in the Polytech gymnasium. The K. U. team outplayed their opponents by a score of 26-17. The game was played on a court divided into three sections which must have slowed up the game considerably. Women's golf was played in the court which enables both teams to get the ball often.
Basketball Introduced
In 1918, class basketball teams at the University were started under the direction of Miss Hazel Pratt, director of athletics for women. At that time Miss Pratt said, "This is the first time in four years the courts have not been monopolized by the men while women waited to practice until the men were at meals or asleep."
at the knees, and bloomers meeting black hose below the knee.
Ridig physical examinations were always given before a woman could participate in any sport. A one-piece garment similar to the Campfire Girl's uniform was worn to play in it. It was a dress cut off
For the first time in the history of the University basketball teams composed of colored women were organized in January of 1919. Miss Pratt said of them, "They look at the game entirely from a recreational viewpoint, and they are very enthusiastic about playing basketball. The colored women, however, are not as interested in technical plays as they are in having a good time."
In the same year, the Women's Athletic Association, a national organization, was started at the University and has continued ever since. In order for men to witness the women's class games, they had come with a W.A.A. woman. The first silver loving cup given by the United States to basketball team went to the Guanaja Phi Beta sorority.
First Swimming Meets
In 1919 women class teams were picked for swimming meets. Tennis and baseball teams were also started organized into competitive sports.
In a swimming contest in connection with the Lewis and Clarke Exposition in St. Louis in March of 1919, Miss Adelaide Steger, aceler swimmer from Kansas, won the women's mile race in the Mississippi river. Baker and Washburn Universities were both trounced in 1920, when the women's K. U. tennis squad went on trips to the two schools. Tennis
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September of 1920 saw two new sports offered to women - volleyball and hockey. New hockey grounds were made south of Robinson gymnasium, while climbing classes also were beginning to create interest among women students.
Women Change Uniform
The University of Kansas prepared in 1923 to answer the challenges of Northwestern University and state schools and colleges in between women's ride teams. This has proved to be a popular sport.
Many nation-wide changes in dress came about in the "20's," but a welcome change came to the athletes of the University. The much despised one piece uniform was replaced by white midies, black bloomers, high white shoes and black hose.
A program of intramural athletics for all women of the University was outlined in 1925 by the women's physical education department. A
constitution similar to that used by the men's association was adopted. A system of points is used as a basis of grading, and cups are awarded to the winners of each sport. A large cup is the award to the organization having the largest number of total points at the end of the year, and, if won three years in succession, will be the permanent possession of the group. Basketball, baseball, volley ball, swimming, track, and tennis were the sports included in the program.
The Women's Athletic Association sponsors the intramural and class tournaments. The different sporte are individually taken care of by sports managers appointed by the W.A.A.
Increased Number in Sports
Pete Mehringer Olympic Champ Was Kansas Hero
Since this intramural plan has been in operation, the number of women participating in sports has doubled. The sports now offered are: Volleyball, tennis, basketball, hockey, swimming, baseball, horse-shoes, handball, golf, pick-pong, deck tennis, drill shootings, and fencing. Points are also given for membership in Quack Club, honorary swimming organization, and Tau Sigma, dancing sorority.
★ All Conference Man in Football Two Years; Won Olympic Wrestling Title As Light-Heavyweight
By Don Pierce, c'41
All-Big-Six tackle two years Big Six and Olympic wrestling champion. Pete Mehringer will long be remembered as one of Mt. Orean's athletic greats.
Mehringer entered the University in the fall of '30 after graduating from Kinsley, Kam., high school where he made a fair record in wrestling and football.
Pete didn't set the world on fire with his play on the freshman grid squad of that year, but he did show much improvement over his high
When football season was over he proceeded to flatten all other members of the freshman wrestling team and was probably even better than the varsity grapplers.
Hits Football Stride
Hits Football Stride
Mehringer really hit his football stride in 31 playing at tackle and guard in the starting Jayhawker lineup and rating a second string guard berth on the all-conference selection when only a sophomore.
He followed up his fine gridiron performance by winning the Big Six heavyweight wrestling championship, all on opposition without a defeat.
Returning to football wars in 32 and 33, the rugged linen literally tore things apart with his slashing play. Easily spotted from the stands because of the stung guards he always wore. Mhéringer hammered opposing plays to bits, cuffed rival linen into submission and blocked and tackled with the best in the conference.
His play was such that he earned a first team slot in the All-Big-Six lineup his final two years. He is still regarded as one of the best
All Conference Two Years
tackles ever to don Jayhawker mole skins.
In 132 he again wiped the mat with all wrestling opponents and swept through to another season and conference heavyweight title.
He added to his grappling laurels by winning a place on the United States Olympic wrestling team as a light-heavyweight and capped that division against the best amateur wrestlers of the world.
Shortly after the 33 football season shortly after Pete quit school to join the professional wrestling and football clans. He first saw service with the Chi-leros, then two years later with the Los Angeles Builders dogfight he now plays.
After a year with the Cardinals and pro wrestling, he spent a year in Australia on a wrestling tour. It was in Australia that he found the country that he built the Buildings.
Mehringer is slated to serve the Los Angeles club again next fall and wrestle all year at the west coast he is still rated as a top notch.
During the prewar era, all women who desired credit for freshman gym were required to know how to swim.
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CONGRATULATIONS
to one fine institution for its seventy-five years of service to young men and women of our state — from another K. U. institution, FRITZ CO.
—Fritz Meyn.
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