Encyclopedia of UNCG History
An online resource for exploring the history of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Physical Education Department
Field Day
Field Day was an annual event held at the State Normal and Industrial College (later UNCG) from 1911 to the early 1930’s. Sponsored by the Physical Education Department, the program consisted of students participating in outdoor field events and later expanding to include dance and music performances. In 1930, the Curry School took over the […]
Ellen J. Griffin
Ellen Jean Griffin was a professor of physical education at the Woman’s College (later known as UNCG) from 1940 to 1968, and was one of the pioneers of women’s professional golf in the United States. After graduating from the Woman’s College in 1940 with a degree in Physical Education, she immediately joined the faculty of […]
Celeste Ulrich (1924-2011)
Adele Celeste Ulrich (1924-2011) was a professor of health, physical education and recreation for several decades, and a leader in the field of physical education. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and received her bachelor of science degree from Woman’s College (now UNCG) in 1946, her master’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1947, and her […]
Camp Ahutforfun
Camping and outdoor recreation have been a staple of UNCG student life since the early 1900s. The student Athletic Association, soon after its founding in 1900, coordinated short hikes around campus. In 1922, a need for longer hikes and more outdoor recreational opportunities led faculty members and students to begin renting cabins around the Greensboro […]
Golf Course
In the fall of 1929, a single golf hole was constructed on the west side of Rosenthal Gymnasium, and plans called for extension to a nine-hole course. In Fall 1933, President Julius Foust announced the approval of a number of Civil Works Administration (CWA) projects at WC, including the much-anticipated golf course construction. In a […]
Coleman (Mary Channing) Gymnasium
On February 11, 1952, Coleman Gymnasium, designed by Loewenstein, Atkins & Associates of Greensboro, North Carolina, opened and was named in honor of Mary Channing Coleman, head of the Department of Physical Education from 1920 to 1947. In 1989, parts of the 1952 structure were incorporated into the Health and Human Performance Building (now known […]
Piney Lake
Originally part of a parcel of land sold by the Earl of Granville, Piney Lake is a recreation center owned by the University consisting of 40 acres. The property was acquired in 1956 and is located approximately nine miles south of the campus near US Highway 421. Piney Lake was managed by the Department of […]
Outdoor Gymnasium
The Outdoor Gymnasium, designed by Harry Barton of Greensboro, North Carolina, was opened in 1922. The open-construction building was located behind Rosenthal Gymnasium. It was approximately 91 feet long, 51 feet wide, and 20 feet to the top of the eaves. The Gymnasium was in existence until 1964, when it was torn down.
Mary Channing Coleman (1883-1947)
Mary Channing Coleman was born on July 11, 1883 in the small community of Ware Neck, Virginia. She was from a prominent Virginia family, and was reportedly a decendent of Pocahontas as well as two signers of the Declaration of Independence. Coleman was educated by private tutors until she went to Virginia’s State Normal School […]
Eva Doris McKinney (1921-1992)
On September 1, 1970, Eva Doris McKinney was hired by the School of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, as a professor in the Physical Education Department. While at UNCG, she taught numerous courses including Psychology and the Athlete and Learning and Performance of Physical Skills. McKinney published a textbook titled Motor Learning: An Experiential Guide […]