Exercises & DBQs

Question

Based upon the documents provided below and your knowledge of the time period, discuss the ways in which American societal attitudes concerning gender during the 1940s and 1950s were reinforced or challenged in the sporting world.

Document A

For years, I have never thought much of the weaker sex in sports. It never interested me how well girls or women could hit a baseball; how fast they could streak over the cinder path; how well they could go around a gold course, or how well they could play tennis. They still were behind the men in all sports, so why should I be the least bit interested in them?

But now I am doing an about face. I’d tip my hat, if I had one, to the charming creatures who make men do such silly things. I am doing an about face because in the past week, women have proved to me, if to no one else, that they are really all right in sports.

It was a week ago that Babe Didrickson, white, went around a golf course in two under par. She did what many men have failed to do. And then I watched those remarkable girls from Tuskegee perform at Ocean City in the national AAU track meet. The things those lassies can do on a track is just too much.

The first thing that attracts attention about those lassies is the way they handle themselves on the field. They are so womanly, so courteous and such excellent sports. The second thing that gets your eye is the way they are trained, or coached. Every girl that goes in an event has finesse to the nth degree.

It was always a pleasure to watch Jesse Owens, Frank Wycoff and Barney Ewell run. They had so much form and grace and to watch sprinters from the Alabama institution getting off their marks and streaking down the cinders is a wonderful sight to see. And if you are fair, you’ll admit the girls have something on the men in the way of form. That form isn’t to be confused with their contours.

Source: Baltimore Afro-American, 13 July 1940, p. 19.

Document B

Coed Cinder Champs Carry High Hopes; Glory Gals Look to Bright Future in Many Fields After Graduation

Ocean City, N. J.—Having revealed the secret desires, ambitions and aspirations of the male AAU champions following the meet last week in Philadelphia, it was virtually compulsory that a similar inquisition be made among the young misses who won titles at the National Women’s AAU Track and Field Meet here on Saturday.

Although much has been written about women being dreamers, and idealists, I found the group of champions were practical and that they had made preparations to assure their future. These young women, while mixing athletics with studies, enjoy all the pleasures and indicated desires to become a nurse, . . . teachers and social workers.

Hoping to secure a job as either a teacher or social worker, Miss Alice M. Coachman, 19, of Tuskegee, believes that being a good wife when she marries will probably be the fulfillment of her secret ambitions. . . . Having won the high jump title three consecutive years she hopes to better the national mark next year and the five tropies in her ever growing collection which now numbers thirty-nine. She ran the anchor leg on the relay team besides winning the jump.

Source: Baltimore Afro-American, 12 July 1941, p. 19.

Document C

Alice Coachman Favored in Women’s High Jump

London—She's “tops” with the American women's track and field team! That's Alice Marie Coachman, the major hope of the U. S. in the high jump, who is the favorite to top the world in the Olympics’ ladies leaping event.

Alice Marie, who once equalled the Olympic record of 5 feet 5 inches at Tuskegee, is representing Albany State College at Albany, Ga., a school with an enrollment of only 700 students. But in the finals at Providence, R. I., she smashed the American record to make the squad with a jump of 5 feet 4-3/4 inches.

Alice is just about the most popular member of the U. S. women's track and field squad, according to her teammates.

When we asked her about this, she modestly replied:

“Well, you see I finished a two-year course in tailoring and dress-making at Tuskegee. And the other girls all come to see me when they need buttons sewed on and their trunks (running trunks, that is.)”

So she’s tops with the team . . . and can sew, too, but adds that she can’t even cook an egg.

Source: Pittsburgh Courier, 7 August 1948, p. 26.

Document D

Rush Carver Peanut Oil to Olympic Team Gals

London—The name of the late Dr. George Washington Carver, famed Tuskegee scientist, is not one to be associated with athletics. Instead, it is associated with the multiple contibutions for the improvement of life in this world.

But Dr. Carver has suddenly become a very important factor to athletes with the United States Olympic team, particularly the members of the women's track and field squad. At least, one of Dr. Carver's by products from the lowly peanut may be the little drop of oil that will be the margin between victory and defeat at the games that started here July 29.

One of the by-products developed by Dr. Carver from the peanut is an oil which has been used extensively as a rubbing liniment by athletes, particularly those attending Tuskegee Institute. That the girls had benefitted from the oil can be attested by the success they've had as individuals and as a team in National AAU competition. The gals have been unbeatable.

There are three members of the Tuskegee team on the United States Olympic squad — Mabel Walker, 100-meters, Nell Jackson, 200 meters, and Theresa Manuel, javelin throw. In addition, there is Alice Coachman, a former member of the Tuskegee Institute team and now representing Albany State Teachers College in Albany, Ga.

It was Miss Coachman who sent the coaches and trainers of the team into a dither. A day out from New York, Miss Coachman discovered that the peanut rubbing oil was not in the luggage, although Coach Cleve Abbott of Tuskegee had promised to have some in New York for the gals to take to London.

So there was nothing for Manager Harry Hainsworth to do but cable Abbott at Tuskegee, requesting him to send enough oil by airplane for the entire team.

“Miss Coachman and the girls from Tuskegee have talked so much about the benefits they've dervied from the oil,” said Hainsworth, “that all the girls want to use it.”

Source: Chicago Defender, 31 July 1948, p. 11.

Document E

Miss Gibson Game from Victory over Louise Brough as Rain Stops Match in Two of Yesterday's Matches at Forest Hills Tournament

Miss Althea Gibson of New York, the first Negro player ever to compete in the national championship of the United States Lawn and Tennis Association, was leading Miss Louise Brough of Beverly Hills, Calif., Wimbledon titleholder, by 7—6 in the third and final set at Forest Hills yesterday when the match was interrupted by a cloudburst.

Close to 2,000 members of the gallery of 6,000—as many as could squeeze into the grandstand, find standing room, or get a view from under the fence—saw Miss Gibson rally after playing badly in the opening set to produce such superior tennis with her powerful service and mannish net attack as to threaten the former national champion with defeat.

Outplayed from 3—all in the second set, in which her own game deteriorated badly, Miss Brough recovered after the rest period and broke through twice for a 3-0 lead in the third. She seemed to have the match under control, but here she seemed to waver again and Miss Gibson, hitting beautiful winners from both forehand and backhand, using the lob cleverly and following service forward for crushing overhead smashes, came on in a fashion to bring cheers from the stands.

Source: New York Times, 30 August 1950, p. 35.

Document F

Bearing 41 trophies of all descriptions, Althea Gibson returned to New York early Wednesday morning to a warm reception.

Winner of 18 singles championships and the coveted doubles title at Wimbledon Miss Gibson alighted from her plane at Idlewind Airport shortly before 7 a. m.

On hand was her long time friend and sponsor, State Assemblyman Bertram L. Baker, in company with a score or more American Tennis Association members.

At noon, she was received at City Hall by Mayor Robert F. Wagner who congratulated her on “the wonderful representation you gave our city and the country.” He then wished her successes in future competition and assured her he would “make every effort” to see her play in the nationals at Forest Hills next month.

Following a busy first day, Miss Gibson was up early Thursday morning to appear on the Dave Garroway “This Is New York” television show.

Looking fresh and sporting an attractive hair do, Althea told the large TV audience that she had no excuses to offer for her loss to Shirley Fry int he quarter-finals of the Wimbledon singles competition.

Source: Baltimore Afro-American, 21 July 1956, p. 7.

Document G

Source: Pittsburgh Courier, 27 July 1957, p. 24.

Document H

Miss Hard Routed; Althea Gibson Becomes First Negro to Take Wimbledon Tennis

Althea Gibson fulfilled her destiny at Wimbledon today and became the first member of her race to rule the world of tennis. Reaching a high note at the start, the New York Negro routed Darlene Hard, the Montebello (Calif.) waitress, 6—3, 6—2, for the all-England crown.

Later Miss Gibson paired with Miss Hard to swamp Mary Hawton and Thelma Long of Australia, 6—2, 6—1, in the doubles for her second championship.

But the match of the day and the sensation of the year saw Gardnar Mulloy gain the honor of being the oldest man in Wimbledon history to win a title. The 42-year-old Denver executive teamed with 33-year-old Budge Patty, the Californian who lives in Paris, to upset the top-seeded Neal Fraser and Lew Hoad, 8—10, 6—4, 6—4, 6—4, and break an Australian domination in the men's doubles that went back seven years.

Source: New York Times, 7 July 1957, sec. V, p. 1.

Document I

Source: "Easy After All," Time, 16 Sept. 1957, p. 61.