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Introduction to the exhibit

For the first one hundred years of the institution, all Bridgewater students were required to be competent in physiology, hygiene, and physical activity. Physical education courses were part of the curriculum well before Bridgewater was the first public Massachusetts state college to add specialized Physical Education teacher training to its major offerings in 1937. The Health and Physical Education major, with the motto “We learn by doing,” was developed as women-only and it remained so until 1972. The longevity of the major program is not only what makes it notable. Rather, it’s the widespread influence of the Bridgewater Physical Education faculty and students in local, national and international spheres spearheaded by Dr. Mary Jo Moriarty’s leadership over a 30 year career. Collections in Maxwell Libraries Archives help to document and preserve this legacy.

This exhibit also highlights items from the Bertrand-Lundin Honoring Women in Sport collection to trace the history of women in baseball and show how their opportunities to compete evolved alongside major social changes and educational movements in the first half of the twentieth century. Bertrand and Lundin's own words summarize the collection: "the comprehensive collection chronicles Women in Sports from circa 1870's thru 1970's and encompasses not only primary resource materials for research but also artifacts, photographs and memorabilia for exhibits and digital content. Bridgewater's faculty appreciates the interdiciplinary value in the diversity of the collection and at present is working to include curriculum based upon the collection for the Arts and Sciences graduate and undergraduate programs."

  • We learn by doing -- History of the Health and Physical Education major and the much anticipated "Fitchburg Game."
  • We learn by leading -- Women's Athletic Association and student/faculty leadership at Bridgewater
  • We learn by competing -- All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, women in the Negro Leagues
  • Learning Activities--Lessons to explore regarding primary source documents and Bertrand-Lundin collection

We learn by Doing
We learn by Doing
We learn by leading
We learn by competing
We learn by competing
Learning Activities
Learning Activities
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