California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Athletic Department Records, 1950-2017

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Summary

Creators:
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Athletic Department
Abstract:
Cal Poly Pomona's athletics program began in 1939 with the formation of a baseball team. Over the following decades, the university introduced a variety of sports for both men and women, including basketball, track, cross-country, volleyball, and tennis. The collection includes photographs, documents, memorabilia, and audiovisual recordings that highlight the contributions of students, staff, and teams that have participated in Cal Poly Pomona's athletic programs.
Extent:
21.97 Linear Feet (44 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Athletic Department Records, Collection no. 0001, University Archives, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes photographs of Cal Poly Pomona athletics teams, coaches, staff, and individuals as well as events related to the Athletics Department. It also includes information guides for Cal Poly Pomona varsity teams, clippings, memorabilia, audiovisual materials, press releases, and other documents.

Biographical / historical:

Cal Poly Pomona's athletics program began in 1939, when the school—then known as the Voorhis Unit of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo—formed a baseball team. The Voorhis Unit was established in 1938 on the former site of the Voorhis School for Boys in San Dimas, California, serving as the southern satellite campus for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The baseball team competed against local high schools and junior colleges until 1943, when the campus was abruptly closed due to declining war time enrollment.

The campus reopened in fall of 1946, reintroduced baseball, and quickly expanded the athletics program to include football, basketball, track, and tennis. Before the war time closure, the campus teams shared the same nickname as San Luis Obispo: the Cal Poly Mustangs. By early 1947, students at the San Dimas campus lobbied for a name change to distinguish themselves from the main campus. The change movement gained momentum, and the students voted to become the "Broncos", the name Cal Poly Pomona students and alumni are known by to the present day.

In 1951, Cal Poly became a member of the SCIA (Southern California Independent Association) league. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the athletics program continued to grow, with the introduction of swimming, wrestling, soccer, water polo, golf, gymnastics and cross country. In 1966, the university joined the CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association), part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. That same year, the school officially separated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and became the 16th campus of the California State College System.

Cal Poly Pomona admitted its first female students in 1961, though it took several years for women's sports teams to be included in the athletics program. Women's cross country, tennis, and volleyball teams were the first to form. By the early 1970s, additional women's teams emerged, including field hockey, basketball, swimming, badminton, softball, and track and field. In 1969, a co-ed volleyball team was introduced in addition to the men's and women's teams.

Several notable athletes have emerged from Cal Poly Pomona. Track and field team member Chi Cheng set world records in the 200-meter hurdles and the 100-meter hurdles and won a bronze medal at the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City. Football player Jim Zorn went on to play and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Other alumni have played for professional teams in both the United States and abroad. Distinguished Cal Poly Pomona coaches have contributed to Cal Poly Pomona's athletics program. John Scolinos, who became head baseball coach in 1962, served as the pitching coach for the U.S. Olympic team in 1984, and retired as the winningest coach in NCAA Division II history. Darlene May, who coached women's basketball in the 1980s, led her team to win three national championships.

Acquisition information:
Most of the photographs, memorabilia, and audiovisual materials in the collection were transferred by the Athletic Department or MediaVision to the University Archives in June 2000 or fall 2021. The letterman's jacket and letterman's blanket were donated to the University Archives by alumnus John Leedom in 1995. The basketball jersey was donated to the University Archives by alumnus Ernest Gee in 1996. The track and field jersey was donated to the University Archives by alumnus Steve Love in 1996. Other materials were gathered from University Archives files.
Processing information:

The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid was funded by the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. In 2022, audiovisual materials were added to the collection and this processing was funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. California's LSTA program is administered by the California State Library.

The collection was processed by Jeffrey Nelson and Emily Chavarria under the supervision of Alexis Adkins in 2017. Additional materials were processed by Amy Roberts in 2024. The audiovisual materials were added to the collection in 2022 by Andrew Kopp and in 2024 by Amy Roberts.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in the following series: 1. Photographs; 2. Papers; 3. Memorabilia; 4. Audiovisual Materials.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Advance notice required for access. Please note that some audiovisual materials in this collection are currently inaccessible due to lack of playback equipment. Users interested in viewing these materials may request digitization or reformatting; however, this process may require additional time and resources.

Terms of access:

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Athletic Department Records, Collection no. 0001, University Archives, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Location of this collection:
3801 West Temple Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768, US
Contact:
(909) 869-3775
speccollections@cpp.edu
Website