Chapter 5
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.
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.
1931 Roberta C. Ranek
1932 No Competition
1933 Consetta Caruccio*
1934 Consetta Caruccio*
1935 Thera Steppich
1936 Jennie Caputo*
1937 Pearl Perkins (Nightengale)
1938 Helm McKee
1939 Margaret Weissmann
1940 No Competition
1941 Pearl Perkins Nightingale
1942 No Competition
1943 Pearl Perkins Nightingale
1944 Helm McKee
1945 Clara M. Scroth*
1946 Clara M. Scroth*
1947 Helen Schifano*
1948 Helen Schifano*
1949 Clara M. Schroth (Lomady)*
1950 Clara M. Schroth (Lomady)*
1951 Clara M. Schroth (Lomady)*
1952 Clara Schroth Lomady*
1953 Ruth Grulkowski*
1954 Ruth Grulkowski*
1955 Ernestine Russell
1956 Sandra Ruddick*
1957 Muriel Davis (Grossfeld)*
1958 Ernestine Russell
1959 Ernestine Russell
1960 Gail Sontgerath*
1961 Kazuko Kadowaki
1962 Dale McClements Flansaas Kephart*(Seattle YMCA)
1963 Muriel Davis Grossfeld*
1964 Marie Walther (Bilski)*
1965 Doris Fuchs Brause**(Seattle YMCA)
1966 Linda Metheny (Mulvihill)*
1967 Carolyn Hacker
1968 Linda Metheny (Mulvihill)*
1969 Joyce Tanac (Schroeder)* *(Seattle YMCA)
1970 Linda Metheny (Mulvihill)*
1897 Earl Linderman
1898 O. Steffen
1899 O. Steffen
1900 O. Steffen
1901 John F. Bissinger
1902 E.C. Brendlin
1903 John F. Bissinger
1904 Anton Heida*
1905 No Competitions
1906 No Competitions
1907 Fred Steffens
1908 Fred Steffens
1909 Frank Jirasek
1910 Frank Jirasek
1911 Paul Krimmel
1912 Paul Krimmel
1913 Franz Kanis
1914 Franz Kanis
1915 Franz Kanis
1916 Peter Hol
1917 B. Jorgensen
1918 Joseph Oszy
1919 Peter Hol
1920 Joseph Oszy
1921 Curtis Rottman*
1922 Frank Kriz*
1923 Curtis Rottman*
1924 Frank Kriz*
1925 Alfred Jochim*
1926 Alfred Jochim*
1927 Alfred Jochim*
1928 Alfred Jochim*
1929 Alfred Jochim*
1930 Alfred Jochim*
1931 Frank Haubold*
1932 Frank Haubold*
1933 Alfred Jochim*
1934 Frank Cumiskey*
1935 Frederick H. Meyer*
1936 Frank Cumiskey*
1937 George Wheeler*
1938 George Wheeler*
1939 George Wheeler*
1940 George Wheeler*
1941 George Wheeler*
1942 Arthur E. Pitt*
1943 Arthur E. Pitt*
1944 Arthur E. Pitt*
1945 Frank Cumiskey*
1946 Frank Cumiskey*
1947 Frank Cumiskey*
1948 Edward Scrobe*
1949 William Roetzheim*
1950 William Roetzheim*
1951 William Roetzheim*
1952 Robert Stout*
1953 Robert Stout*
1954 Charles Simms*
1955 Karl Schwenzfeier / John Miles
1956 John (Jack) Beckner*
1957 John (Jack) Beckner*
1958 John (Jack) Beckner*
1959 John (Jack) Beckner*
1960 Fred Orlofsky*
1961 Nobuyuki Aihara
1962 Donald Tonry*
1963 Makoto Sakamoto*
1964 Makoto Sakamoto*
1965 Makoto Sakamoto*
1966 Makoto Sakamoto*
1967 Yoshi Hayasaki (UW team)
1968 Makoto Sakamoto*
1969 Mauno Nissenen (UW team)
1970 Yoshiaki Takei
Bibliography:
1.A Brief History of Physical Education: Emmett Rice.1926; A.S. Barnes and Co.