JOHNNY LaROWE Former U.S. Marine and billiard-parlor owner, Johnny LaRowe, became one of Virginia's most beloved and admired coaches of championship boxing teams. Known for his fine character and sportsmanship, he often said that he was "more interested in making men than boxers." Although stricken with a serious illness in 1936, he attended daily practices in his wheelchair until his death in 1940.

Photograph of Johnny LaRowe with boxing team. No date. Johnny LaRowe is in the center, wearing glasses.

 

Instructions in Gymnastics, containing a full description of more than eight hundred exercises, and illustrated by five hundred engravings. New York: George F. Nesbitt, 1851.

J. E. D'ALFONCE A native of Poland and talented linguist, J.E. D'Alfonce was an enormously popular and skillful teacher of gymnastics at UVa prior to the Civil War. Following the war his classes were boycotted--possibly because it was discovered that he was a Union sympathizer and rode as a cavalry officer in Sheridan's command.

 

AMOS ALONZO STAGG The legendary Mr. Stagg was one of the great innovators and motivating forces in the early development of the game of football. Amos Alonzo Stagg and Henry L. Williams. A Scientific and Practical Treatise on American Football for Schools and Colleges. Hartford, Conn.: Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1893. Autographed copy. Gift of Edward R. "Butch" Slaughter, admired coach and "father of intramurals" at UVa.

ARCHER CHRISTIAN

On November 13, 1909, Archer Christian, a promising first-year halfback, suffered a fatal concussion and hemorrhage in the annual game against Georgetown. Five days later the aging John S. Mosby wrote a scathing letter to alumnus and former Visitor Eppa Hunton on the "murder" of Christian and the continuation of football, "this barbarous amusement," at the University. He denied that such sport "develops the manhood of youth....Manhood is a sense of honor and courage....Foot-ball simply develops the brute dormant in man's nature and puts the player on a level with...a polar bear. Visored Knights and tournaments were consistent with the spirit of the dark ages....But it can at least be said of the old knights that they did not shiver their lances for gate money."

President Edwin A. Alderman's response was not to ban football but to reform it. He addressed a meeting of the four-year-old Intercollegiate Athletic Association in December 1909 where he urged the adoption of laws to eliminate football's dangers including Virginia athletic director William Lambeth's suggestion that the game be divided into quarters with a long rest between halves. Lambeth's proposal was approved as were suggestions to place seven men on the line of scrimmage, forbidding the "hiking" of the ball carrier and allowing the quarterback to run more than five yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Three years later the most controversial reform, a forward pass beyond the line of scrimmage, was approved by one vote. The one reform that might have saved Christian's life--helmets--was not mandated until 1939.

Typed carbon copy letter, signed. John Mosby to Eppa Hunton. 1909 November 18.

RICHARD HEATH DABNEY

Autograph manuscript of Richard H. Dabney's speech on "Athleticism" given during "University Hour." 1911 March 9.

An innovation of President Alderman, the "University Hour" was a monthly meeting whose purpose was to foster communication between professors and students. Here Professor Dabney elaborates on his opinion of the athlete vs. the scholar,

"If called upon to choose between the two extremes, between the man who neglects everything else to grind away at his books, and the man who neglects everything else to grind away at football practice on the field in the afternoon, signal practice in the gymnasium at night, and ceaseless talk about football at "The Corner" in the morning and at meals, I should unhesitatingly pronounce the latter species of grind the inferior of the two."

HENRY H. CUMMINGS, JR.

Photograph of Henry H. Cummings, Jr. 1927. Cummings in on far right.

Henry Cummings won the Southern Conference 100-yard dash in 1927. Twice captain of the track team, Cummings was an Olympic sprinter in the 1928 games in Amsterdam. An assistant professor of political science at UVa prior to WWII, Cummings died of polio in Italy in 1945.

PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE

Photograph of President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge. 1928 November.

President Calvin Coolidge and his wife attended the 1928 Virginia vs. North Carolina Thanksgiving Day football game at Lambeth Field. Seated to the right of Mrs. Coolidge is Governor H. W. Chase of North Carolina and to the right of the President is Governor Harry F. Byrd of Virginia. Courtesy of the University of Virginia News Service.

 

WILLIAM M. DUDLEY   "Bullet Bill" Dudley is the only Virginia player elected to both the College and Professional Football Halls of Fame. Playing at Virginia from 1939 to 1941, he set a standard for versatility that has never been matched. He ran, passed, kicked and played defense, scoring 206 of Virginia's 279 points in 1941. The first player selected in the 1942 NFL draft, Dudley first spent two years flying bombers in WWII before returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers to lead the League in rushing, interceptions, and punt returns in 1946. Later playing for the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966. Dudley is Virginia's first All-American and UVa's first player to have his jersey retired in any sport (#35).

Photograph of William M. Dudley. No date.

 

Photograph by Rufus W. Holsinger. March 20, 1916.

EPPA RIXEY Until Warren Spahn came along, Eppa Rixey held the Major League record for wins by a left-hander with 266. Virginia's only Baseball Hall of Famer, Rixey won 20 or more games four times in a season, with a career high of 25 in 1922. He pitched a record 21 seasons in the National League, dividing his time between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds. He was voted Greatest Left-hander in the Reds' history. He set a career low in 1916 with an earned run average of 1.87. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1963, Rixey had the lowest winning percentage (.515) of any Hall of Famer.

 

 

DON SHULA Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history, had his humble beginnings as an assistant football coach assigned to the backfield at Virginia in 1959.   Promotional photograph of Don Shula at an alumni banquet inaugurating a drive for funds for a new field house (University Hall). 1959 March 20.

 

Photograph of Richard Warren Wilkinson. No date.

RICHARD WARREN WILKINSON The legendary hoopster, Richard Warren "Buzzy" Wilkinson, brought basketball out of obscurity and into center stage here in Cavalier country in the 1950s. Standing 6'2", this agile guard-forward thrilled the fans while setting records that stand to this very day. A prolific scorer, he averaged 30 points per game, and totaled 2,233 points during his career from 1953-1955. An all-American and captain of the team, he was the first in basketball to have his jersey retired, the second in UVa athletics. "Buzzy" was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1955.   Courtesy of Sloan's Restaurant, Charlottesville, Virginia.

 

HARRISON P. DAVIS III Virginia's football team was integrated in 1970 with the signing of four African-Americans: Harrison Davis, Stanley Land, Kent Merritt and John Rainey. Though he was a tremendous athlete, Harrison Davis's placement as a quarterback at UVa was not well received by the Virginia fans nor students and his years on the gridiron were wrought with controversy. Following graduation, Davis went on to pursue a professional career with the San Diego Chargers.

Photograph of Harrison P. Davis (#15). 1971.

Virginia's NCAA championship team. 1972.

Photograph by Ralph Thompson. Courtesy of the University of Virginia Athletic Department.

Goalie stick that helped win the 1972 NCAA Lacrosse Championship.

Courtesy of Rodney Rullman, UVa goalie.

Congratulations to UVa 1999 NCAA Lacrosse Champions

 

Photograph of Ralph Sampson. No date.   NIT FINAL PLAYOFF, VIRGINIA vs. MINNESOTA Photograph of Ralph Sampson and Kevin McHale. 1980 March 19. Photograph by Lisa O'Donnell.

RALPH SAMPSON When Ralph Sampson signed a letter-of-intent to play at Virginia on May 31, 1979, he provoked more hoopla than any other Virginia ballplayer ever has before or since. At his final game at UVa played before a packed house at U-Hall on March 6, 1983--one of the best basketball games a Charlottesville audience has ever seen--he generated more tears. In the time in between, the 7'4" center fashioned the most spectacular career of any Virginia basketball player in school history. Sampson led Virginia to 23 straight wins in 1980-81, en route to the nation's # 1 ranking. He averaged a double-double on the way to his first of three Naismith National Player-of-the-Year honors, and Virginia reached the Final Four for the first time in its history. He continued to play brilliantly in his last two seasons, becoming the #1 draft choice of the Houston Rockets in 1983. He earned NBA Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 1984 and led the Rockets to the NBA finals in 1986. Sampson saw his career curtailed by injuries that would eventually force his early retirement. Today, he lives in Richmond where he works with local basketball teams, operates basketball camps, and has his own line of clothing.         In this photo, Sampson and McHale of Minnesota battle it out under the hoop in the 1980 National Invitation Tournament play-off match. UVa won the championship 58-55 and Sampson became the first freshman to be named Most Valuable Player.

Photograph of University of Virginia cheerleaders. ca. 1971.

RAKER WARS

Terry Kevin Amthor. Photocopied typed manuscript of "Raker Wars." 1981.

This parody of the movie Star Wars starred a cast of characters which closely resembled members of the 1980-81 University of Virginia Basketball team. An abridged version was published in The Declaration of March 26, 1981.

 

PAUL ERENG   A transplant from Kitale, Kenya, first-year student Paul Ereng brought great pride to Virginia's track team and the University by capturing the gold medal for Kenya in the 800-meter race at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. This three-time ACC and NCAA champion and four-time all-American captured a world record in 1989 at the World Indoor Championship in Budapest of 1:44.84, breaking Sebastian Coe's six-year-old mark of 1:44.91. Internationally unsuccessful as a 400-meter runner, he switched to the 800-meter distance just a year prior to the Seoul Olympics.

Photograph of Paul Ereng. No date. In photo, Ereng is out front. Photograph by David L. Greene. Courtesy of the University of Virginia Athletic Department.

 

Photograph of Claudio Reyna. No date.

CLAUDIO REYNA With five national championships to its credit, the men's soccer program has been the most successful athletic program at the University of Virginia. Joining the Virginia coaching staff in 1978, Bruce Arena, the current coach of the U.S. National Team, recruited such exciting players as John Harkes and Tony Meola from his home state of New Jersey. Harkes became Virginia's first national player of the year, and Meola led the team to its first national championship in 1989. Both later starred in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. In 1991, a midfielder arrived from Springfield, New Jersey, who eclipsed all his predecessors at Virginia in talent and winning edge. Claudio Reyna made an immediate impact, leading the Cavs to national championships in each of his three seasons. A three-time, first-team all-American, Reyna garnered national player-of-the-year honors in 1992 and 1993. Reyna left early to play in the World Cup and now plays for the Glasgow Rangers in Scotland.   Courtesy of the University of Virginia Athletic Department.

HISTORY OF WOMEN'S ATHLETICS

With the advent of women being admitted to the University of Virginia on equal basis with men, so began the struggle for equality in women's athletics. During the spring of 1971, it was announced that there would be no further expansion in the men's intercollegiate program and the following guidelines for women were established:

1. A team had to serve at least one year as a club team in order to give reasonable expectation that it could succeed if given varsity status.
2. There must be sufficient intercollegiate competition available within the State of Virginia and the ACC area in order to develop a schedule.
3. There must be facilities available at the University which would enable the prospective team to function and succeed.

 

MARY SLAUGHTER Mary Slaughter was the first woman to letter in any sport at the University of Virginia and the first to participate officially for a Virginia athletic team--in 1954. The United States Lawn Tennis Association crowned her the Virginia State Women's Champion in 1959, 1961, and 1963. This Middle-Atlantic netter continued her illustrious tennis career in Illinois in 1965 when she became a teacher at the University of Illinois.   Photograph by Ralph Thompson. Courtesy of the University of Virginia Alumni Association.

Photograph of Mary Slaughter. No date

 

Photograph of Margaret Groos. 1981.

MARGARET GROOS   The first woman to receive an athletic grant-in-aid at UVa, Margaret Groos' dedication as a runner was unparalleled. She was an inspiration to all athletes at Virginia because of the rigorous training regimen she put herself through in and out of season. This strong personal commitment enabled her to set records in every distance event, from the 1,500-meter to the 10,000-meter, five of which still stand today. An alternate in the 1984 Olympic games, she succeeded in winning the marathon in the 1988 Olympic trials. Photograph from the 1981 Corks & Curls.

 

VALERIE B. ACKERMAN A recipient of numerous awards on and off the court, Val Ackerman's most recent honor is being inducted into the GTE Academic All-American Hall of Fame. Upon graduation in 1981, this four-year starter and two-time all-American, went on to play professional basketball in France for one year before continuing her education at UCLA and receiving her law degree in 1985. Presently she is president of the WNBA.     Photograph by Caren Linman.

Photograph of Valerie Ackerman (#25). 1981 January 7

 

Photograph of Susie Williams. No date

SUSIE WILLIAMS . Hailing from one of the most famous lacrosse families in the game, Susie Williams graced our fields and enjoyed great success here in both lacrosse and field hockey. Entrenched in the game of lacrosse, she was convinced to stay on to coach for two years following graduation. Williams was an assistant coach in 1991 when Virginia's women lacrosse team won their first National Championship. Courtesy of Sloan's Restaurant, Charlottesville, Virginia.

 

HEIDI and HEATHER BURGE   Virginia's own twin-towers, Heidi and Heather Burge, thrilled women's hoops fans and gave the Virginia Lady Cavaliers a dimension they never had before or since. The Burges helped lead UVa to three ACC championships and three NCAA final four appearances before graduating in 1993. Heather has since pursued a professional basketball career overseas with a possibility of playing in the WNBA this coming year. And, in addition to playing for the Washington Mystics, Heidi is presently working hard on the "Heidi's Hoops for Hope" Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting basketball for inner-city girls in the D.C. area. Photograph by Jim Carpenter. Courtesy of the University of Virginia Athletic

Photograph of Heidi and Heather Burge. 1991.

 

Photograph of Dawn Staley, in tan jacket, with Jim Copeland, UVa Athletic Director, and Debbie Ryan, Women's Basketball Coach. 1993.

DAWN STALEY   The most talented and dominant female player ever to grace the hardwood in Charlottesville, Dawn Staley set a standard against which all future Virginia women's basketball players will be judged. During her collegiate career, Staley helped Virginia to a 110-21 record, earning her three Kodak All-America nominations in the process. Graduating in 1992 as a two-time national player of the year, she still ranks as Virginia's all-time leader in points scored (2,135), scoring average (16.3 points per game), and assists (735). After college, she dazzled fans across America with her ball-handling skills as she led the U.S. National Team to win a gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games. An inaugural member of the non-defunct American Basketball League, Dawn Staley will display her abilities in the WNBA next year. Photograph by David L. Greene. Courtesy of the University of Virginia Athletic Department.