Summary |
|
| Creator: | Sibley, Katharine. |
| Title: | Katharine Sibley Papers |
| Dates: | 1916-1965 |
| Size: | 1 box (0.5 linear feet) |
| Abstract: | The Katharine Sibley Papers contains correspondence, writings, and awards related to her work in the Syracuse University Department of Physical Education for Women. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
University Archives, Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives |
Biography
Katharine Sibley (1883-1967) spent almost fifty
years working in the field of physical education at Syracuse University. Throughout her
career, she befriended students, impressed faculty, and ultimately benefitted countless
women students through her tireless efforts to improve the quality of women’s physical
education.
Sibley graduated from Posse Normal School of Gymnastics in 1903, an institution that took a progressive approach to advancing the field of physical education. She applied the school’s forward thinking soon after her graduation, when she found a job as Instructor of Physical Education at Syracuse University within the year. Sibley's excitement for her new position was soon replaced with disappointment, as she found the University's approach to teaching physical education to women students severely lacking. Though deeply discouraged by the poor facilities women were left to make use of, she resisted the urge to leave Syracuse University and instead began her work to improve it. By 1907, she was promoted to Professor of Physical Education, and she introduced reforms to the program which emphasized building fulfilling athletic experiences based on student interests over requiring routinized drill exercises.
In 1918, Sibley made another significant advancement in her efforts to improve the state of women’s physical education at Syracuse University. She founded the Department of Physical Education for Women. This department offered women students, for the first time, the opportunity to major in physical education, and it provided them with the department of dedicated faculty they had long lacked. Though the creation of this department was a great step forward for women’s physical education at Syracuse University, Sibley knew there was still much that needed to be done to achieve educational equality.
Up until 1909, Syracuse University’s gymnasium was almost entirely utilized by men students, with the women allowed limited time to use separate sections of the grounds. When Archbold Gymnasium was built, the men moved to the new facility, and the women were left to occupy the “Old Gym.” True to its unofficial name, the building that became the Women’s Gymnasium was clearly showing the age and limitations that had caused the men students to move to a new building. Sibley made no effort to hide her disdain for the Women’s Gymnasium. When the building was moved to a new site, she commented that she hoped it would fall apart in transit. When Archbold Gymnasium was nearly destroyed in a large fire, she remarked that it should have been her building that burned down. She would have no such luck wishing for disaster. To correct this striking inequality of resource allocation, she would have to work for decades alongside others who wanted to see women students have modern physical education facilities.
Sibley did not allow this cause to be an all-consuming one, however, as her career included many other efforts to advance the field of physical education, for women and men, at Syracuse University and nationally. She was an influential and important member of many physical education organizations. She held the positions of the president of the Eastern Association of Physical Education for College Women, vice president of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, and chair of the American Physical Education Association’s Women’s Athletics Committee. In addition to these and other professional pursuits outside of school, Sibley also furthered her own education. She studied anatomy at Syracuse University, and a year prior to receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in 1936, she published her popular textbook, Elementary Human Anatomy.
Though Sibley was gaining national recognition, the local matter of securing her students proper facilities remained a primary concern. She spent years organizing efforts and promoting the need for a new building. Once plans to construct a new building for women’s physical education were finally approved and the funding was raised through extensive student, faculty, and alumni efforts, the University consulted Sibley about what it should feature. She worked with the architects to design much of the interior of the building, and its final design reflects the thinking of someone who knew precisely what the students most needed.
By 1950, construction on the new Women’s Building was nearly underway. Chancellor Tolley, who called Sibley one of the greatest teachers in the history of the University, hoped the school could break ground on the new building before her retirement, but this did not come to pass. In the spring of that year, just a few months before construction started, Sibley retired after 47 years of teaching physical education at Syracuse University. At the groundbreaking ceremony, it was she who was given the ceremonial shovel to begin the long-delayed process.
The Women’s Building was completed in 1953, and two years later the building’s pool was named for Sibley in a ceremony. This was not the first time Syracuse University had honored her dedicated career. In 1945, she received the George Arents Medal (the University’s highest alumni award for professional excellence), and in 1950, the University bestowed upon her a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree.
Following her retirement, Sibley was remembered for her progressive thinking, her assiduous efforts to improve student conditions and address gender inequality, and her ability to genuinely engage and inspire students. Katharine Sibley died in Syracuse on November 14, 1967.
Scope and Content Note
The Katharine Sibley Papers contains materials dating from 1916 to 1965. The largest portion of this collection is Sibley's correspondence, which includes letters related to the completion of the Women's Building, her retirement, the reprinting of her book, and general matters from her professional and personal life. Another significant portion of the collection are Sibley's clippings from newspapers and other publications that document her achievements and interests.
The speeches and published writings in this collection put forth some of Sibley's thoughts on her professional and academic interests. These include the full text of her speech for the J. Richard Street Lecture series and an excerpt from her well-received textbook, Elementary Human Anatomy. The materials related to physical education and the Women's Building similarly showcase some of her work, while the awards and recognition detail how well that work was received.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries and all relevant rights holders
before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this
collection.
Selected Search Terms
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Katharine Sibley Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
This collection was donated in 1969 by Katherine Stauffer, who was an assistant to Katharine Sibley.
Processing Information
Materials were placed in acid-free folders and box. Acidic newspaper clippings were replaced with photocopies. Rusting metal paper clips were replaced with chemically inert plastic ones.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: Sean Molinaro
Date: 2012
Revision history: