By: Grace Shymanski, Bicentennial Intern, Class of 2017, French and History
Edited by: Ellie Kaverman, Bicentennial Graduate Assistant
Aldrich was born in Elmo, MO in 1914 and spent her adolescent years there. She grew up the only child in a household with her parents and grandparents. Aldrich’s father and grandfather owned a lumber business, the grounds of which became a playground for Aldrich and her friends.[1]
Her parents and grandparents instilled in her the importance of setting high expectations for herself, as epitomized by Aldrich’s grandfather once telling her after her success in a chin-up competition, “You could have done many more chin-ups, but instead you dropped from the bar simply because you had outperformed your classmates.”[2]
While Aldrich planned to attend a private college after graduating high school from Elmo High School in 1932, her plans were disrupted by the dark cloud of the Great Depression. Three days before she was supposed to leave for college, the bank that held Aldrich’s college money closed and she was unable.[3] Instead, Aldrich continued onto Northwest Missouri State Teachers College and earned her degree in English and physical education in 1936.
Education became a lifelong passion. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Missouri in Kansas City in 1946 and her Ed.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 1957.
Early Career
After graduating from college, Aldrich began work as a schoolteacher. Her teaching career started in King City, Missouri, where she taught English, health, and physical education in elementary and high schools.[4]
In 1953, Aldrich began her first position as a school administrator as the Supervisor of Health and Physical Education for the Kansas City Schools. From 1960-64, she was the Director of Elementary Physical Education and Secondary Girl’s Physical Education and Intramurals.
“The direction of my career changed at that point,” she later said, “because I began to assume administrative responsibilities in terms of curricular planning, facilities, budgeting, and purchasing as I worked with itinerant teachers, junior and senior high physical educators, and administrators.”[5]
In these roles, Aldrich became known for her advocacy for girl’s and women’s participation in athletics. She was especially well-recognized in the Kansas City area for several student-led demonstrations and films on fitness.[6] In 1961, she was appointed Women’s Advisor to President Kennedy’s Council on Physical Fitness.[7]
Coming to Indiana University
In 1964, Indiana University Bloomington hired Aldrich as a professor of physical education for women and professor of education. That same year, she was appointed chair of the department of physical education for women in the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.[8] She was given the task of developing and teaching courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Aldrich continued as department chair until 1974.
As a faculty member, Aldrich contributed greatly to building the program. She served as a member of steering committees for the physical education curriculum guide Motion and Direction and for a Lilly Foundation study to determine the physical competencies of elementary school children.
In 1965-66, Aldrich received a grant from the U.S. Commissioner of Education to support long-term research to identify and evaluate a conceptual framework for the curriculum in physical education for kindergarten through college.
When the department dean resigned unexpectedly from the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation in 1975, Aldrich was voted by other faculty and school alumni to take over as acting dean, a resounding testament to her leadership. She served as acting dean from 1975-76.
In 1977, Aldrich added a new title to her resume: chair of the kinesiology department, which was a result of the merging of physical education programs for men and women.[9] She served in this role until 1980, when she decided to step down from administrative roles as her retirement approached. Aldrich taught at the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation until 1985.
Aldrich was a strong advocate for the development of women’s athletics on campus and the expansion of extramural program opportunities. She championed moving the women’s competitive program into the department of athletics to reflect its development.
In 1971, Aldrich became the first woman to serve on the Indiana University Athletics Committee, and after serving seven years, she was named the first woman chair. She chaired the committee from 1978-1985.
Aldrich later wrote The Development of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics at Indiana University from 1972-1992, a testament to her firsthand experience with women’s athletics at IU.
Legacy and Awards
Aldrich was nationally recognized as a leader in her field, having been featured in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the United States, Who’s Who in the Midwest, Leaders in Education, and Outstanding Educators of America.[10] She served as the president of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation and was on the on the editorial board of the Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.[11]
Aldrich received numerous honors and recognition throughout her career including the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the Leadership Recognition Award from the Indiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD).
She was named an Honor Fellow for (AAHPERD) and was elected to the American Academy of Physical Education. In 1979-80, she received the Recognition Award for Promotion of Growth and Attainment of Goals of Women’s Athletics at Indiana University.
In 1996, Aldrich was inducted into the IU Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. Later, in 2005, the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation established the Anita Aldrich Distinguished Alumni Award to annually honor a recipient who personifies the ideals of Anita Aldrich—“[the] demonstration of outstanding achievements, professional excellence, service to the community, and loyalty to Indiana University, all while making a significant difference in the lives of girls and women relative to participation in sports, fitness activities and healthy lifestyles.”[12]
After retirement, Aldrich stay connected to the Bloomington community through volunteering with the Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, and the Monroe County Public Library. She died in 2012.
Having arrived on campus nearly ten years before Title IX, Anita Aldrich worked to secure opportunities women and her work undoubtably spurred new opportunities for women in athletics on campus.
Aldrich, along with her colleagues and predecessors in the Department of Physical Education for Women, advocated for women in athletics throughout the century before Title IX passed. Collectively, Anita Aldrich, Marjorie Phillips, Edna Munro, Jane Fox, and Juliette Maxwell helped build a case for women in athletics throughout the century before Title IX was passed.
Bibliography
- Olivia B. Waxman, “She Exposed the Discrimination in College Sports Before Title IX. Now She’s a Women’s History Month Honoree,” Time Magazine, March 1, 2018, https://time.com/5175812/title-ix-sports-womens-history/
- “HPER Renamed as School of Public Health-Bloomington,” IU Bloomington, May 15, 2018, https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/HPER+Renamed+as+School+of+Public+Health-Bloomington/1_x8qytnnx
- Sharon Van Oteghen (2013) Anita Aldrich, 1914–2012: A Dedicated HPER Professional, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 84:2, 10-12, DOI:10.1080/07303084.2013.757175
- “B10-2015 Memorial Resolution, Anita Aldrich,” Bloomington Faculty Council records, Collection C179, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Notes
[1] Sharon Van Oteghen (2013) Anita Aldrich, 1914–2012: A Dedicated HPER Professional, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 84:2, 10-12, DOI:10.1080/07303084.2013.757175
[2] Oteghen 2013.
[3] Oteghen 2013.
[4] Memorial Resolution https://iu.app.box.com/file/388529847275
[5] Sharon Van Oteghen (2013
[6] Sharon Van Oteghen (2013
[7] Sharon Van Oteghen (2013
[8] Memorial Resolution https://iu.app.box.com/file/388529847275
[9] Sharon Van Oteghen (2013)
[10] Memorial Resolution https://iu.app.box.com/file/388529847275
[11] Memorial Resolution
[12] Memorial Resolution