This is a naming opportunity for the donor to have a perpetual identification
with the sport of GYMNASTICS. The endowment would be named by the donor
with the approval of the IISOH Board of Directors.
The endowment becomes a permanent trust fund invested by the Institute
with only the quarterly earned interest being used for development of the
GYMNASTICS collections in both the Library and Museum.

The Board of Directors would like to thank all donors for their support. Every donation will be recognized
in our publications or web site pages. Donations over $250 will be honored by the Board of Directors with
an engraved brick to be placed on the patios or walkways that will surround the cafe and scultpure gardens.
Larger donations will be acknowledged with larger plaques in marble, stone or bronze and displayed on designated
walls of honor inside or outside the buildings in accordance with the instructions of the Board of Directors.
Become a Charter Member -- Make a cash donation
click here
The Library and Museum eagerly accept donations of material that are within the scope of its collections. Collectors are encouraged to send us books, monographs, theses & dissertations, magazine and subscription collections for the library, as well as medals, pins, torches, posters, artwork and collectables for the Museum.
LIBRARY donations:
MUSEUM donations:
These lists are not comprehensive and are limited only by your imagination!
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Gymnastics is an international sport and we seek everything, in every language, in order to develop a comprehensive collection. Gymnastics is extremely popular in many countries including as Russia, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Canada as well as the United States and many others. It is one of the most important sports in Germany, and neighboring countries in Northern and Central Europe. American Physical Education in schools began in the late 1800's and teachers argued ferociously between the Swedish and German styles of gymnastics. This debate was over which form of gymnastics was better suited for educational use in American schools. In the end -- both were dumped in favor of American sports such as baseball, football, basketball and volleyball. The use of gymnastics in physical education was a European idea and was very closely related to military training and discipline. British education emphasized character building with sports such as rugby. American education concentrated on playing games and team sports with an emphasis on competition. Hence -- gymnastics did not gain popularity in the USA until the mid-20th century.
Gymnastics took a huge leap in popularity when Olga Korbut, of the Soviet Union, won the hearts of fans worldwide with her magnificent performance in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Then in 1976 a Rumanian athlete, Nadia Comaneci, thrilled the world with her performances at the Montreal Olympic Games. The sport became immensely popular with clubs and camps established all over the USA. But in the late 1990's participation declined as schools began to cut athletic team budgets in order to field more women's athletic teams such as softball. Intercollegiate competition dropped dramatically as dozens of universities dropped the sport in order to save money. Today gymnastics is a strong club sport and one of the most popular events in the Olympic Games.
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The Institute's long-term goal is to develop the most comprehensive gymnastics research collection in the world.
Please donate generously to this project.

The IISOH is organized to operate a library and museum for:
History of Sport
Physical Education
Recreation
Dance
Sport in Art
Olympic Games

Links to pages about the International Institute for Sport and Olympic History.

email:
Olympicbks@aol.com

The IISOH website is temporarily hosted by
HARVEY ABRAMS-BOOKS
This page was created February 23, 2002
This page was updated December 11, 2009