Chapter 5

AMATEUR ATHLETIC UNION (AAU)

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) had jurisdiction over many sports including gymnastics and was in charge of district and national championships.  The AAU was the American representative to the FIG for many years and was the precursor to the United States Gymnastics Federation (USGF), which later became U.S.A. Gymnastics (USAG).  It was the controlling organization for gymnastics. This organization produced and published the rules and regulations for gymnastics competition in the US.  It got its start in 1879 as the Amateur Athletes of America and changed to the AAU in 1888. The aim of the organization was to keep athletics amateur in status and to “promote legitimate sports”.(1)

From 1936 to 1941 the AAU held gymnastic championship meets in the Vancouver, BC area.  There were three levels of competition - novice, junior and senior.  On May 3-5,1962, the 74th National AAU Gymnastic Championships were held at the Seattle Civic Arena in conjunction with the Century 21 World’s Fair. This was also the second official trial for the selection of the men and women’s national gymnastics team, which were to represent the US in the World Gymnastic Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia, July 2-9. Dale McClements from Seattle won the all-around. Bud Marquette, coach at SCATS in California and coach of Cathy Rigby McCoy, and Mary Sarver served as judges in that meet. Bud and Mary also helped out at Washington’s Gym Kamps in the summers.

Of the events held in the AAU men’s competitions, flying rings, Indian Clubs, tumbling, and rebound tumbling were included in the competitions but were eventually discontinued. Women once competed on the flying rings (until 1957) and also team drill, tumbling and rebound tumbling, which were eventually discontinued.

There still are AAU gymnastics programs in the US.

Washington Athletes Who Hold an AAU Championship

Charles Denny (UW) was on the A.A.U. All American Men’s Gymnastics Team of 1962 for Swinging Rings.
Yoshi Hayasaki, a Japanese student at the UW, won the all around in 1967, as did Mauno Nissenen, a gymnast from Finland who competed for the UW in 1969.
Mel Cooley (UW) won the High Bar Championship in 1978.
These college men also did very well in the NCAA championships, which will be discussed in a later chapter on college men.

In the National Junior Olympic AAU division, Jim Kelch was the top athlete out of Washington for the years 1970, '71, '72.

Avis Tieber, who competed for the Seattle YMCA for a short time, made the All American Women’s Team in vault in 1963, and in 1964.
Doris Fuchs Brause, who at one time competed for the Seattle YMCA, also made the 1964 team on Bars.
Dale McClements Kephart won the 1962 all around and vault.
Joyce Tanac (Schroeder) Seattle YMCA won the all-around title in 1969.

AAU Women's All-Around
Champions (1931 - 1970)
(* Denotes Olympian)

AAU Men's All-Around
Champions (1897 - 1970)

Bibliography:
1.A Brief History of Physical Education: Emmett Rice.1926; A.S. Barnes and Co.

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