The History of Sport in the United States

This two-week forum will introduce audiences to the history of sport in the United States during the recent past. Focusing on the period between 1900 and today, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Larry Atwater will explore how sport has long served as a reflection of American society as well as an agent of change in the nation. The series will begin in week one by discussing important themes and events in the history of sport during the first half of the twentieth century. It will pay particular attention to themes of religion, race, ethnicity and gender in the construction of sport culture and the role of sport in broader events like racial segregation, the Great Depression and the two world wars. Week two’s session moves the story through the latter decades of the twentieth century and up to today. It will highlight the influence of sport in and on events like the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the modern women’s movement and examine how developments like television coverage, corporate sponsorship and globalization have influenced both sport and society.

Thursday Forum is held in Kesler Auditorium on the first floor of Hickok Hall. Each weekly session begins with registration and refreshments from 8:45-9:15 AM, followed by the lecture until 11:30 AM. The presentations blend lecture, media such as film and music, and discussion.

Admission to each four-week forum series is $40. Admission to individual lectures and each session of two- and three-week forums is $12 per week. Admission includes the lecture and morning refreshments of coffee, tea and pastries. Payment can be made in person on Thursday mornings by cash or personal check. Credit card payments can be processed by registering online in advance at www.coe.edu/thursday-forum.