Springfield College (Massachusetts)
| Springfield College | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Established | 1885 |
| Type | Private College |
| Endowment | $35.6 million[1] |
| President | Richard B. Flynn |
| Undergraduates | 3,621 |
| Postgraduates | 1,441 |
| Location | Springfield (Main Campus), Massachusetts, USA |
| Athletics | NCAA Division III |
| Nickname | Pride |
| Affiliations | YMCA |
| Website | www.spfldcol.edu |
Springfield College is a private, coeducational university located in Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield College is most famous as the site where the sport of basketball was invented. Professor James Naismith invented the game in 1891 when Springfield College was known as the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School.
Springfield College's campus is located on the City of Springfield's second largest body of water (after the Connecticut River), Watershops Pond. It lies approximately two miles from downtown Springfield, the site of its central business and entertainment districts. There are two main sections to the main campus, and eleven satellite campuses around the United States: Houston; San Diego; Tampa; Boston; Manchester, New Hampshire; St. Johnsbury, Vermont; Charleston, South Carolina, Milwaukee; Los Angeles, and Wilmington, Delaware.
Springfield College is best known for its programs in the allied health sciences, human and social services, sports movement activities, and arts and sciences. The mission of Springfield College is to "educate students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to humanity —" a concept defined by the school as "Humanics".[2]
Springfield College is a part of the Hartford-Springfield regional alliance for economic and cultural partnership known as New England's Knowledge Corridor.[3]
Contents |
[edit] History
Founded in 1885 as the Young Men's Christian Association department of the School for Christian Workers in Springfield, the school originally specialized in preparing young men to become General Secretaries of YMCA organizations in a two-year program. In 1887, it added a Physical (i.e. physical education) department. In 1890, it separated from the School for Christian Workers and became the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School. In 1895, it became a three-year program.[4]
The original facilities were located on the second floor of the Armory Hill YMCA. By 1895, it owned 30 acres on the outskirts of Springfield, on Massasoit Lake (also known as Water Shops Pond) and had its own gymnasium, plus a dormitory under construction on a high point nearby.[5]
Just a few years after opening its doors to the first eighteen students in 1885, the YMCA Training School could boast an international reputation as a pioneer in teaching and scholarship related to physical education class, sports medicine, physical therapy, physiology of exercise, biomechanics, wellness, the training of YMCA executives, and many other fields.[citation needed]
In 1905, the school became a degree-granting institution.[6]
In 1912, it took the name International YMCA College and in 1954, Springfield College.[7]
[edit] Athletics
Springfield College is known as the "Birthplace of Basketball", a game created by alumnus and faculty member James Naismith under the founding head of the Physical Education department Luther Gulick Jr. in 1891. Gulick is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame,[8] which is named for Naismith.[9]
Alumnus William G. Morgan, invented of the game of volleyball.[10]
On February 9, 2008 the Springfield Wrestling team achieved their 900th victory. Springfield College joined Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Oregon State as the only schools to have achieved this milestone.
Stagg Field serves as the College's main athletic field; it was named after former coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg who briefly coached Springfield and went on to play a pivotal role in the development of modern football. The baseball team plays at Berry-Allen Field.
In 1940 Springfield was one of eight teams to make the 1940 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
In 2006 and 2007, the school hosted the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Final Four.
The Men's Volleyball team has 6 national titles since the inception of the Division III national championship in 1998, under Head Coach Charlie Sullivan.
The Springfield College Women's Basketball team of 2004–2005, made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division 3 basketball tournament.
Women's basketball, coached by Noami Graves, has won several conference tournament championships, including the season of 2006.
Springfield College graduates Rusty Jones G '86 and Jon Torine '95 participated in Super Bowl XLI as the Head Strength and Conditioning coaches of the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.[11]
The Springfield College Women's Field Hockey Team has won the NEWMAC (New England Women's and Men's Athetic Conference) title for five consecutive years (2004–2008).
The men's lacrosse team competes in the Pilgrim League, where it has won the conference championship in 2010, 2009 and 2008.
Springfield's Women's Swimming and Diving Team has won the NEWMAC Conference title for ten consecutive years (2001–2010) in the Division III Conference.
Springfield's Mens's soccer team were voted National College Champions by the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association in 1946, 1947 and 1957. This was before the NCAA championship soccer tournament in 1959.
[edit] Notable alumni
- John Allaire — Buffalo Bills Strength and Conditioning Coach since 2006
- Harold Amos — microbiologist and professor
- Jeff Blatnick — 1984 Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling
- Raymond Castellani — did not graduate; actor, activist on Los Angeles' Skid Row
- John Cena — World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star, was a college football star, a team captain and All-American center, earned a degree in exercise physiology
- W. Dean Eastman — educator (graduate assistant track coach 1974-76, MSE 1976, CAGS 1977)
- Nancy E. Gary — (ScB 1958) dean of Albany Medical College and Executive Vice President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Dean of its F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine.
- Wayne Granger — former Major League Baseball relief pitcher and National League saves leader in 1970
- Davis Hart, physician & English channel swimming world record holder, 1972.
- Don Ho — Hawaiian musician and entertainer (attended for one year)
- Rusty Jones, strength and conditioning coach for the Chicago Bears.
- Rob Lasorsa: 1982 Track & Field All American - Founder and President of National Throws Coaches Association
- James Naismith — Canadian faculty member, invented basketball in 1891
- Erin Pac — bronze medal winner in bobsled at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
- Manuel Rivera-Ortiz — did not graduate; documentary photographer; attended classes at Springfield Colleges as part of the Massachusetts Migrant Education summer program, where he was offered his first courses in photography and film development.
- Steve Spagnuolo, class of 1982, became head coach of the National Football League's St. Louis Rams in 2009[12]
- Tom Waddell — alumnus, physician and founder of Gay Games
- Glenn Warner
- Mike Woicik — former football coach (1978–79) and current coach for the New England Patriots.
- Bill Yorzyk, physician & only USA swimming gold medalist in 1956 Olympics, 200M butterfly.
[edit] References
- ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ "Humanics". Springfield College official web site. http://www.spfldcol.edu/home.nsf/welcome/humanics. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
- ^ "New England's Knowledge Corridor". Hartford-Springfield Economic Partnership web site. http://www.hartfordspringfield.com. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
- ^ Abstract of the Secretarial Department Records, 1885-1910, Springfield College Library PDF
- ^ "Trains Young Christians: An Institution in Springfield Which Is Doing a Great Work", New York Times, December 29, 1895, p. 20.full text
- ^ Glenn T. Miller, Piety and profession: American Protestant theological education, 1870-1970, 2007. ISBN 0802829465, p. 289
- ^ Springfield College History web page
- ^ "Luther H. Gulick". Basketball Hall of Fame profile. http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/luther-h-gulick. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
- ^ "James Naismith". Basketball Hall of Fame profile. http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/james-naismith. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
- ^ "William G. Morgan (1870-1942) inventor of the game of volleyball". Volleyball World Wide web site. http://www.volleyball.org/wmorgan.html. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
- ^ "Three Springfield College Grads in Sunday's Super Bowl XLI". Springfield College press release. January 30, 2007. http://www.spfldcol.edu/homepage/athletics.nsf/websearch/F3CF9A9DD651D9C085257273005420A3.
- ^ "Spagnuolo '82 Named Head Coach of the St. Louis Rams". Springfield College press release. ary 18, 2009. http://www.spfldcol.edu/homepage/athletics.nsf/Headline/D9BFC21DD5A98D5185257542005DDBE9.
[edit] External links
|
|
|||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Coordinates: 42°6′15.6″N 72°33′18.2″W / 42.104333°N 72.555056°W
- Springfield College (Massachusetts)
- Universities and colleges founded by the YMCA
- Universities and colleges in Springfield, Massachusetts
- Educational institutions established in 1885
- Council of Independent Colleges
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities members
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts members
