Office of the Director of Athletics Records

Collection

Identifier: UA 0052.0001

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains the official records of the Office of the Director of Athletics at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. They reflect the director's duties and responsibilities as the senior administrative officer overseeing the Intercollegiate Athletics program at the University.

These records contain material related to annual reports, committees, correspondence, Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, financial information, history of athletics at UNCG, memorandums, planning, policies, and press releases. In addition there are handbooks from Athletic Association of North Carolina College, a DVD on the history of the athletic program, and various newsletters. There is also a considerable amount of material related to National Collegiate Athletic Association self-study reports conducted by the University.

Dates

1947-2018
Other: Majority of material found in 1968-2011

Creator

Office of the Director of Athletics (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical or Historical Information

The Office of the Director of Athletics was formally established in 1983, with the hiring of Nelson E. Bobb as the first full-time athletic director. Prior to his hiring, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) was already competing in intercollegiate athletics thanks in part to Ethel Martus Lawther, the dean of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, who promoted an athletics program. During the 1960s, UNCG fielded several women's teams including basketball, field hockey, golf, and tennis. In 1967-1968, men's athletics were added, and the intercollegiate program for men and women received formal recognition from the University. It was also during the fall of 1967 that the school adopted the nickname "The Spartans." In 1968, UNCG joined the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and began competing in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition as a Division III school.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the athletic teams at UNCG flourished. The men's soccer team won five national championships (1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, and 1987) and in 1983, the women's basketball team was national runner-up champions. It was also during this time that other sports programs were added, including softball and volleyball.

In 1987, the University's Board of Trustees approved the elevation of the athletics program to scholarship status, with all teams being affiliated with Division II in 1988-1989 and then all teams being affiliated with Division I in 1991-1992. In 1991, the University official achieve Division I status and in 1992 joined the Big South Conference. Since joining Division I competition, UNCG has expanded to sixteen teams including baseball (1991), men's (1991) and women's (1992) cross country, and wrestling (1993).

In 2009, after twenty-six years as the only athletic director at UNCG, Bobb resigned and was replaced by Kim Record. In 2011, Record announced the dissolving of the wrestling program at UNCG due to budget cuts.

Extent

2.60 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Office of the Director of Athletics was created in 1983 with the hiring of Nelson E. Bobb as the first full-time director. During his tenure, the athletics program at UNCG flourished and in 1991, he oversaw the transition of the University from a Division III school to a Division I school.

This collection consists of annual reports, correspondence, a DVD, handbooks, memorandums, and reports related to athletic history, committees, self-studies, and other topics which document the activities and duties of the office from 1925-2018.

Arrangement Note

The arrangement scheme for this collection was imposed during processing in the absence of a useable original order. This collection is arranged into two series with Series 1 organized in alphabetical order while Series 2 is in chronological order.

Method of Acquisition

Periodically transferred from the Office of the Director Athletics.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.