Guide to the Athletics Department records USDA.001
Prepared by Ashley Toutain. Updated by Gabrielle Wood, 2024.
University of San Diego Archives
© 2016
Copley Library
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110-2492
spcoll@sandiego.edu
Contributing Institution:
University of San Diego Archives
Title: Athletics Department records
Creator:
University of San Diego Athletics Department
Identifier/Call Number: USDA.001
Physical Description:
.75 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1956-1993
Abstract: This collection contains the historical records of the University of San Diego Athletics Department. Records include administrative
materials, newspaper clippings, and photographs.
Language of Material:
English
.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains the historical records of the University of San Diego Athletics Department. Records include administrative
memos, meeting minutes, correspondence, programs, and historical information, as well as newspaper clippings related to USD
athletics. The records document the advancement of the athletics program, including budget planning, notable events such as
the reintroduction of the football program and the move to Division I, and documentation of the recreation program that served
the broader campus community.
Photographs and negatives from Crew Classics and a Crew alumni event are also included.
Biographical Information
Fon Johnson served as the first athletic director and the first basketball coach for the College for Men in 1955. He oversaw
the creation of the football field which was completed in 1955. Gil Kuhn formed the USD Booster Club to help support the football
program and coached the inaugural year of football. Desire for a football program was lackluster, however, and the program
was discontinued in 1961. USD continued to compete in intercollegiate basketball, baseball, tennis, and golf. The athletic
program reintroducing football in 1973 with an anonymous donation of $115,000 also adding soccer around that time. With the
advent of Title IX in 1972, the athletics program grew to include female sports. Wendy Gilchrist competed in Tennis in 1971,
and Terry Fowler competed as the first female swimmer in 1973. In 1978, the athletics program began moving from NCAA Division
III to NCAA Division I, with the exception of the football program which remained Division III until 1993.
USD athletes were initially known as the Pioneers, but in 1961 the mascot changed to the Toreros. Torero is the Spanish word
for bullfighter, and was chosen in part as a signifier of courage, honor, and fidelity.
Shortly after the College for Men and College for Women merged, emphasis was placed on the Recreation component of the Athletics
Department. The aim was to provide extra-curricular activities for students as well as recreational activities for faculty,
staff, and alumni.
Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Athletics Department records are the physical property of the University of San Diego, Archives and Special Collections. Copyright,
except in cases where material has passed into the public domain, belongs to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns.
Preferred citation
[Folder Title], Box # Folder #, Athletics Department records, Copley Library, University of San Diego, Archives and Special
Collections.[Date accessed].
Processing Information
This collection, USDA_2008_018, was processed by Tessie Camina in November 2008. Further processing was conducted by Ashley
Toutain in 2016.
An album of 1986-1988 Crew photographs and negatives was located in 2019. These were removed from the album to archival sleeves
and folders for preservation.
Separated Material
Photographs of Paula Mascari have been separated from the collection and moved to photo storage.
Related Material
Baseball uniforms of John Cunningham, a Torero Cheerleader uniform, signed basketball, and athletics scrapbooks can also be
found in the University Archives and Special Collections.
Arrangement
The Athletics Department records are arranged into three series:
Series I. Administrative Records
Series II. News Clippings
Series III. Photographs
Subjects and Indexing Terms
San Diego (Calif.)
Athletics
Football
Basketball
Baseball
Tennis
Rowing
sports
intercollegiate athletics
student life
University of San Diego
Mascari, Paula
Maher, Leo T.
Eagan, Brent
Cahill, Patrick
Jones, Alan M.
Administrative Records
1956-1993
Scope and Contents Note
Records in this series pertain to the early administrative matters of the Athletics Department. This includes intercollegiate
athletics as well as the university recreation program which oversees events and campus-wide recreation activities. Among
these records are memos, meeting minutes, and correspondence regarding the Athletics Department budget defect and need to
raise funds. Records in this series are arranged in alphabetical order.
box 1, folder 1
Administrator - Cahill - Correspondence
1979-1983
Scope and Contents Note
Correspondence with Rev. Leo T. Maher and Rev. Msgr. I. Brent Eagan regarding passes for University of San Diego basketball
and football games.
box 1, folder 2
Athletic Committee - Meetings
1969 April - May
Scope and Contents Note
Memos, agendas, and meeting minutes.
box 1, folder 3
Athletic Committee - Memoranda
1968 - 1971
Scope and Contents Note
University of San Diego Athletics budget information regarding the Athletics Committee's charge to address the budget deficit
in the Athletics Department.
box 1, folder 4
Athletic Fund - Pledge Forms
undated
box 1, folder 5
Baseball Alumni List
1993
box 1, folder 6
Basketball, Women's - Mascari, Paula
1990
Scope and Contents Note
Articles about Mascari's selection as the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Includes photographs of Mascari.This folder
contains five copies of photographs. Photograph originals are located in photographs storage (People-Students-Individual-Mascari,
Paula.)
box 1, folder 7
Booster Club - Directory
1960-1972
box 1, folder 9
Director - Job Description
1973
box 1, folder 10
Events - Mad Jack's 5 or 10 Mile Run
1978
box 1, folder 11
Events - Meet the USD Coaches
undated
box 1, folder 12
Events - Sports Banquet [program]
1987
box 1, folder 13
Events - West Coast Athletic Conference (WCAC) Visit
1978
box 1, folder 14
Football - Official Brochure
1957
box 1, folder 16
Goal/Sports Summary
1973-1974
box 1, folder 17
Grid Index
1959
Scope and Contents Note
Football Guide for Southern California. Includes article about University of San Diego Football program.
box 1, folder 18
Inter-Collegiate Athletics
1970
box 1, folder 19
Recreation Information Sheet
1974
box 1, folder 20
Game Day Programs - Basketball
1959-1961
box 1, folder 21
Game Day Programs - Football
1956-1958
box 1, folder 22
Game Day Programs - Football
1959-1961
box 1, folder 23
Souvenir Programs - Israeli Olympic Team vs. USD
1957 February 23
box 1, folder 25
USD Crew
1977-1991
Scope and Contents Note
Includes information about the Torero Power Ten Club which was created to support the Crew program.
box 1, folder 26
USD Sports Center - Regulations
1973
box 1, folder 27
USD Sports Center - News Release
1977-1980
box 1, folder 28
Athletics Schedules
1978-1980
Newspaper Clippings
1960-1982
Scope and Contents Note
This series of newspaper clippings, largely from San Diego area newspapers, include articles highlighting University of San
Diego Athletics from the 1960s to the 1980s. The bulk of the clippings document game results. Also included are articles pertaining
to the growth of the Athletics Department, particularly the decision to become an NCAA Division I program in 1978 as well
as to add football, soccer, crew, and women's basketball to the intercollegiate athletic program.Records in this series are
arranged in chronological order.
box 1, folder 30
Newspaper Clippings ("New Nickname: Forget Pioneers - They're Toreros," Southern Cross, 1961 September 21)
1960-1961
box 1, folder 31
Newspaper Clippings
1970-1973
box 1, folder 32
Newspaper Clippings
1977-1978
box 1, folder 33
Newspaper Clippings
1979
Scope and Contents Note
Includes a series of articles about Alan (Captain America) Jones.
box 1, folder 35
Newspaper Clippings
1981-1982
box 2, folder 1-8
Crew photographs
1986-1988
Scope and Contents
Crew photographs primarily of the 1986, 1987, and 1988 Crew Classics. Also photographs of the 1987 Crew Alumni event.
