Allison W. Marsh (AC 1913) Physical Education Department Records
Scope and Contents
Contains correspondence, reports, forms, publications, newspaper clippings, ephemera, and blueprints from Amherst College (and some material from other colleges and universities) regarding physical education, athletics, health, and Physical Education department business. These records were received from Professor A. W. "Eli" Marsh and are primarily composed of department records from before and during his tenure as Professor of Physical Education, as well as a smaller amount of his professional papers. Also of interest is a small amount of material related to relief efforts in Hadley, Massachusetts after the 1936 flood.
Dates
- 1875-1959
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
There is no restriction on access to the collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.
Conditions Governing Use
Requests for permission to publish material from the collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Biographical / Historical
Allison W. "Eli" Marsh (1892-1976) was a professor of Physical Education at Amherst College from 1917 to 1958. Marsh was was chairman of Department of Physical Education and Intercollegiate Athletics from 1950 to 1958 and was one of two men to serve twice as president of the College Physical Education Association. He was consistently opposed to professionalism in college athletics and became a respected spokesman on the subject nationally. Professor Marsh introduced soccer to Amherst College in 1920 and was its head coach until his retirement. The Amherst College physical education department was the first of its kind when it was founded in 1859. In the decades that followed it maintained a leadership role in developing the fields of physical education and college athletics. Prominent professors in the department include: Edward Hitchcock, Jr. (professor 1861-1911), Richard Nelligan (1892-1929), Paul C. Phillips (1896-1929), A. W. "Eli" Marsh (1917-1958), and Albert "Al" Lumley (1928-1968).
Extent
2.5 Linear feet (2 record boxes, 1 archives box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Records from Professor A. W. Marsh, including correspondence, reports, forms, publications, newspaper clippings, ephemera, and blueprints from Amherst College (and some material from other colleges and universities) regarding physical education, athletics, health, and Physical Education departmental business.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into five series:
- Series 1: General
- Series 2: Correspondence with Dr. Paul C. Phillips
- Series 3: Facilities
- Series 4: Hadley Flood
- Series 5: Professional Organizations
Processing Information
With a few exceptions, original folder order, titles, and contents were retained; therefore folder titles do not necessarily reflect full contents of folders.
- Amherst College -- Alumni and alumnae Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Amherst College -- Faculty Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Amherst College -- Sports Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Physical education and training Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Author
- Sylvia Hickman (AC 2016)
- Date
- 2016 August
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Repository
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
61 Quadrangle Drive
Amherst MA 01002-5000
(413) 542-2299
archives@amherst.edu