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The College of New Rochelle Gill Library
Athletics at the College of New
Rochelle: a History
The first mention of sports at CNR is in the St. Angela’s Quarterly in 1905. A coach was hired to organize a basketball team. A year later, the College Bulletin describes the following required courses in Physical Training (under Professor Robert Rutledge): Physiology and Hygiene for freshman plus one hour daily of Light Gymnastics (dancing and gymnastics); sophomores had a daily required hour of Heavy Gymnastics (fancy dancing steps, dumb bell and Indian club drills, fencing, and vaulting). Required for juniors was a daily half hour of Out-of-Door Gymnastics—basketball, handball, tennis, and golf. No college credit was given for these courses, a custom which continues today. There was a tennis court where Maura Hall now stands. Basketball and fencing teams were formed. Horseback riding lessons (with chaperones) and the opportunity for boarding a horse were available to the students.
When the state-of-the-art Gymnasium (now called Chidwick) was completed in 1907, the bright new gym was the pride of all; the Athletic Association had been formed the previous year, and in 1911 select members were awarded “NR” letters for their sweaters. The required gym uniform of full knee-length black bloomers and middy blouse, black cotton stockings and sneakers must have felt very comfortable to young women who wore stiff whale boned corsets all day to maintain a slender silhouette. By 1908 there were four classes and annual inter-class Athletic Meets began between the “Odd’s” and “Evens” (year of graduation). The Meets became a focus of inter-class spirit and competition—often reaching a fevered pitch. Each class had its own colors, banners, and songs which were brought out for the Meet. Ingenious ways and places of getting the class banner to the highest point on campus put lives in peril as students scaled trees, sneaked up to the Castle towers, or climbed onto roofs to place the class banner. Held in the fall and spring, the Meets initially involved gymnastic drills as well as basketball. Later track and field competitions were held and awards were given. The meets continued until the early 1940’s. Intramural sports were popular—basketball, volleyball, golf, hockey, tennis, and riding. In 1916, CNR began playing basketball with other college teams.
In less than 30 years, the growing college needed a much larger and more modern gymnasium. In 1932, at the height of the Depression, the ultra-modern Art Deco Sports Building was completed—with a pool, gymnasium, social rooms, equipment & exercise rooms—a special tribute to the efforts of CNR’sole physical education teacher of those years, Edna Meyer Ostertag who had come to CNR in 1919 and stayed 29 years (out -done by Kathleen LeVache who spent more than 40 years directing CNR athletics). The Athletic Association was open to anyone interested in sports, as a team member or supporter. Dues paid for some new equipment, parties, prizes, and speakers. In later years, a full CNR scholarship was offered every four years, funded by the admission fees for A.A. sponsored games and dances. An annual banquet at which awards were given continued into the 1980’s.
Sports lost some of their appeal during the politically-turbulent late 1960’s-1970’s, but the annual Swimphony/Landphony(water and land ballet) competition, begun in 1942 with 12 participants. In 1944, it became an inter-class competition, and in 1948, the now annual competition was given the name “Swimphony” and continued to spark class spirit and inter-class competition into the 1990’s.
Required gym remained a constant, but the gym suit (by the 1950’s a blue skirted short dress and bloomers and navy sneakers) became a thing of the past. A greater variety of physical education courses were offered to freshmen and sophomores. In the weeks before Commencement, one could see a breathless student running laps around campus, making up too many cuts from the required hours. A friend of this writer has stated that one of her greatest accomplishments at CNR was learning how to swim!
During the 1970’s, CNR’s basketball team took the name “Blue Angels,” and won a number of local, state, regional championships. Although riding and golf were no longer popular activities, basketball, volleyball, softball, tennis, and swimming had many active participants on their teams. Exercise equipment was added in the 1970’s, and the pool was often opened in the summer to day camps and residents of Residence Park.
It was a sad time for CNR when the Sports Building’s deterioration led to its being pulled down in 1999. A variety of physical education courses and activities have continued, but all look forward to the new Wellness Center which will sound of splashes, bounces, cheers, and laughter after a long silence.
Written by Martha Counihan, OSU Archivist 3/8/04 Athletics at the College of New Rochelle: a History
The first mention of sports at CNR is in the St. Angela’s Quarterly in 1905. A coach was hired to organize a basketball team. A year later, the College Bulletin describes the following required courses in Physical Training (under Professor Robert Rutledge): Physiology and Hygiene for freshman plus one hour daily of Light Gymnastics (dancing and gymnastics); sophomores had a daily required hour of Heavy Gymnastics (fancy dancing steps, dumb bell and Indian club drills, fencing, and vaulting). Required for juniors was a daily half hour of Out-of-Door Gymnastics—basketball, handball, tennis, and golf. No college credit was given for these courses, a custom which continues today. There was a tennis court where Maura Hall now stands. Basketball and fencing teams were formed. Horseback riding lessons (with chaperones) and the opportunity for boarding a horse were available to the students.
When the state-of-the-art Gymnasium (now called Chidwick) was completed in 1907, the bright new gym was the pride of all; the Athletic Association had been formed the previous year, and in 1911 select members were awarded “NR” letters for their sweaters. The required gym uniform of full knee-length black bloomers and middy blouse, black cotton stockings and sneakers must have felt very comfortable to young women who wore stiff whale boned corsets all day to maintain a slender silhouette. By 1908 there were four classes and annual inter-class Athletic Meets began between the “Odd’s” and “Evens” (year of graduation). The Meets became a focus of inter-class spirit and competition—often reaching a fevered pitch. Each class had its own colors, banners, and songs which were brought out for the Meet. Ingenious ways and places of getting the class banner to the highest point on campus put lives in peril as students scaled trees, sneaked up to the Castle towers, or climbed onto roofs to place the class banner. Held in the fall and spring, the Meets initially involved gymnastic drills as well as basketball. Later track and field competitions were held and awards were given. The meets continued until the early 1940’s. Intramural sports were popular—basketball, volleyball, golf, hockey, tennis, and riding. In 1916, CNR began playing basketball with other college teams.
In less than 30 years, the growing college needed a much larger and more modern gymnasium. In 1932, at the height of the Depression, the ultra-modern Art Deco Sports Building was completed—with a pool, gymnasium, social rooms, equipment & exercise rooms—a special tribute to the efforts of CNR’sole physical education teacher of those years, Edna Meyer Ostertag who had come to CNR in 1919 and stayed 29 years (out -done by Kathleen LeVache who spent more than 40 years directing CNR athletics). The Athletic Association was open to anyone interested in sports, as a team member or supporter. Dues paid for some new equipment, parties, prizes, and speakers. In later years, a full CNR scholarship was offered every four years, funded by the admission fees for A.A. sponsored games and dances. An annual banquet at which awards were given continued into the 1980’s.
Sports lost some of their appeal during the politically-turbulent late 1960’s-1970’s, but the annual Swimphony/Landphony(water and land ballet) competition, begun in 1942 with 12 participants. In 1944, it became an inter-class competition, and in 1948, the now annual competition was given the name “Swimphony” and continued to spark class spirit and inter-class competition into the 1990’s.
Required gym remained a constant, but the gym suit (by the 1950’s a blue skirted short dress and bloomers and navy sneakers) became a thing of the past. A greater variety of physical education courses were offered to freshmen and sophomores. In the weeks before Commencement, one could see a breathless student running laps around campus, making up too many cuts from the required hours. A friend of this writer has stated that one of her greatest accomplishments at CNR was learning how to swim!
During the 1970’s, CNR’s basketball team took the name “Blue Angels,” and won a number of local, state, regional championships. Although riding and golf were no longer popular activities, basketball, volleyball, softball, tennis, and swimming had many active participants on their teams. Exercise equipment was added in the 1970’s, and the pool was often opened in the summer to day camps and residents of Residence Park.
It was a sad time for CNR when the Sports Building’s deterioration led to its being pulled down in 1999. A variety of physical education courses and activities have continued, but all look forward to the new Wellness Center which will sound of splashes, bounces, cheers, and laughter after a long silence.
Written by Martha Counihan, OSU Archivist 3/8/04
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