Davies Hall Projects

My name is Dr. Bobbi Knapp, a sport sociologist and historian on the Sport Administration faculty in the School of Human Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. This fundraiser is for students' projects that contribute to the history of Physical Education and Athletics at SIUC. Davies Hall was named after Dr. Dorothy Davies upon her retirement as chair of the Women's Physical Education Department in 1974. It is one of the few buildings on campus named in honor of a woman, and the building itself is a historical landmark in SIUC's old campus, turning 100 in 2025. Davies Hall is the foundation of physical culture on the SIU campus as it was the home for women's and men's physical education and men's and women's athletics.

In honor of the centennial celebration and in an attempt to recognize and educate people about the history of Davies Hall and the importance its people held to SIU, the region, and the nation, students in several of my courses are doing various projects to showcase this history. Students are working on a self-guided tour that will have tour stops that provide information about people such as Dr. Dorothy Davies, Dr. Charlotte West, and coaches such as Herb Vogel; sports such as field hockey and soccer; and organizations such as AIAW (Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) and WAA (Women's Athletics Association). Students are also developing videos, working on a scholarship wall, and developing a timeline to highlight important dates in the history of Davies Hall. Monies earned from fundraising will purchase the photographics students create for the self-guided historical tour, the scholarship wall info plaques, painting of murals, and development of educational materials.