The Ohio State University Synchronized Swimming Program, 1928--1995: 'The People. The Tradition. The Excellence.'.

摘要

The detailed study of everyday events and experiences that has been a hallmark of women's sport history has included very little about the institutional histories and sport experiences of women who engage in sports organized exclusively for women (i.e., those that have no male counterpart at any level), such as synchronized swimming. Clearly, not all women have the same institutional histories or sporting experiences, nor do they have the same opportunity to share their voice, individually or collectively. Importantly, however, the histories, traditions and experiences of women who partake in female dominate sports often vary markedly from those who participate and compete in traditionally male sporting activities, especially at the collegiate level.;By investigating the institutional history and sporting experiences of the synchronized swimmers at Ohio State from 1928-1995 and incorporating those experiences into historical context, I attempted to discover and reveal the depth, variety, and complexities of these female sporting experience in a sport, organized solely for women. I examined the institutional history of this program from a variety of historical perspectives to better understand the significance the sport has had at Ohio State and in the lives of these collegiate women. I researched the following questions:;1. Why is it important to document the institutional history of the synchronized swimming program at Ohio State?;2. What is the significance of these sporting experiences to the larger body of Ohio State and women's sport history scholarship?;3. Who were the pioneering women (and men) responsible for creating, developing, and maintaining one of the most extraordinary women's collegiate sports program in the country?;4. How and why did these women get involved in the sport of synchronized swimming at Ohio State?;5. How and why has Ohio State become such a powerhouse in the sport?;These and other questions were designed to reveal and gain insight into a female sport that, for the most part, has been largely ignored. The purpose of this dissertation is to document the institutional history of this unique sport by supplementing Ohio State archival materials with information and personal stories provided by the participants and coaches of this remarkable program through surveys and interviews. This project will begin to allow synchronized swimmers at Ohio State to find their voices, to tell their stories, and to assert themselves as historical subjects, not only in Ohio State athletic history, but also in the larger milieu of women's sport history.