Home > Sports and Recreation
While not a major focus of collecting, the Canaday Center does preserve some important materials that document sports and recreation in American culture. This includes significant documentation of the athletic history of The University of Toledo. Included is not only written and published documentation, but also some artifacts and memorabilia of interest to the community such as one of the first costumes of UT’s mascot Rocky the Rocket, and a football signed in 1928 by legendary player and commentator Red Grange.
One of the most interesting collections documents sports locally and internationally—the papers of Joseph Scalzo. In addition to being a lawyer and a member of Toledo City Council, Scalzo started to coach wrestling at The University of Toledo in 1949, and soon became involved in wrestling internationally. He served as a referee, judge, or coach at several Olympic games, including Helsinki (1952), Melbourne (1956), Rome (1960), Tokyo (1964), and Mexico City (1968). His service led to membership on the Olympic Board of Directors Executive Committee in 1973. In addition to his involvement in the Olympics, Scalzo’s collection includes documentation of his effort to bring the Amateur World’s Wrestling Championships to Toledo in 1962. Held in UT’s Field House, the games featured wrestlers from 28 countries, including from the Soviet Union and the Soviet Bloc during the height of the Cold War. The event drew international attention to the city, and Scalzo brought the championships back to the city in 1966 and 1973.
This exhibit features the Canaday Center's collections on sports and recreation.
“Any agency which promotes the bodily well-being of a people automatically stimulates the rise of art and knowledge.”
The Toledo Turners, a local chapter of the national German culture organization, encouraged fitness through club programming focused on sports, especially gymnastics. A prominent event sponsored by the Toledo Turners was the Turnfest. Sometimes referred to as a “Physical Culture Revue,” the Turnfest was a gymnastics festival that demonstrated how the Turners valued physical fitness.
This newsletter article from 1999 proudly proclaims that recreation is “something for everyone,” regardless of ability. The Ability Center, with its focus on teaching independent living skills to persons with disabilities, offers programs in adaptive recreational activities for persons with physical disabilities.
The University of Toledo has had an intercollegiate athletics program since the students petitioned for one in 1915. Starting with the football team was formed in 1917 with the basketball team close behind, The Rockets--so named in 1923 for their playing style--grew quickly to include fifteen sports at the NCAA Division Level 1.
Founded in 1896, The Toledo Mud Hens baseballteam left Toledo in 1955 to be replaced by a new team was formed with the same name in 1965. By the 1970s, the Mud Hens had gained national attention, thanks mainly to Toledo native and actor Jamie Farr, who was a Mud Hens fan and mentioned the team often on the popular television show M*A*S*H. Today the Mud Hens are a farm team for the Detroit Tigers, play their home games at downtown Toledo’s Fifth Third Field, and are a major attraction for Toledo natives and visitors alike.
Bicycling became a craze in the United States in the late nineteenth century. This book taught the basics, including suggesting “cycling costumes” of bloomers for women to provide for safe peddling.
Catharine Beecher promoted physical fitness for women. She campaigned for a school curriculum that included calisthenics, and this volume included drawings of appropriate exercises for men and women.
Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1892. That year, it was played under modified rules by the women at Smith College. This book, one in a series of books written to instruct women on how to play particular sports, includes the fundamentals of the game and photographs showing young women on the court. The illustration on page 49 depicts the idela catching position. This volume is signed by the author.
In 1962, Toledo wrestling coach Joseph Scalzo brought the world to Toledo with the Amateur World’s Wrestling Championships featuring both freestyle and Greco-Roman style wrestling, held in the Field House at The University of Toledo. Wrestlers from 28 countries participated in the championship, one of the first sports tournaments in the Cold War era to include these athletes.
Harold “Andy” Anderson was appointed part-time basketball coach at The University of Toledo in 1934. In eight seasons, his win/loss record was 142-41. In December 1941, the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association invited UT to play in the National Invitational Tournament in Madison Square Garden. This scrapbook documents the exciting few days when the national spotlight was on the Rockets playing in the NIT.
One of the most popular traditions in the United States, high school football enjoys as much success and support in Toledo as anywhere else. These programs display iconic images of competition among Toledo’s local high schools.
This football helmet and cleats were donated along with several other pieces of football gear by the family of Ronald Spilis, University of Toledo Class of 1953. Spilis played back and fullback during his time as a Rocket. The leather helmet was phased out in the late 1940s and early 1950s to make way for the safety helmets used today.
Grange was appearing at the Rivoli Theatre downtown while injured and unable to play for the Chicago Bears during the 1928 season when he signed this football for the university. View the next image to view Grange's signature.
Rocky emerged as The University of Toledo’s mascot as a personified depiction of a real rocket during the 1966-1967 season, making his first physical appearance in the fall of 1968. The costume has seen many changes since this wastepaper basket with a pointed rocket top made of papier-mâché. This costume is actually pieces of multiple Rocky renditions. The helmet is older than the spats and shields.
