Pleasant, Michigan, 1954-1961; and I came to Wisconsin
State Uni-
versity, Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1961, where I am
presently employed.
I received my Master of Arts Degree from the University
of
Michigan in 1954. I have done graduate work at Wayne
State Univer-
sity, Michigan State University, Central Michigan
University and
The Ohio State University.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
VITA
LIST OF FIGURES
Chapter
I. INTRODUCTION
II. THE TURNER MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
III. PIONEER FATHER
IV. YOUTH AND EARLY TRAINING
V. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING EXPERIENCE
BEFORE LA CROSSE
VI. PHYSICAL EDUCATION AT LA CROSSE
A. Establishment of a Physical
Education School
B. Early Years - 1920-1939
C. The War Years -1940-1945
D. Transition Years - 1946-1956
VII. CONTRIBUTIONS
A. Contributions of La Crosse
B. State Contributions
C. Contributions to Literature
D. Inventions
VIII. ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS
IX. SUMMARY
APPENDIXES
A. Awards and Diplomas
iv
Page
ii
iii
vi
1
3
22
28
44
53
53
57
62
63
64
64
86
91
95
100
108
111
112
APPENDIX Page
B. Report Card 125
C. Letter of Advice from Hans' Father 130
D. Questionnaires Returned from Graduates
of the La Crosse Department of Physical
Education, 1920-1956 133
E. Questionnaire Form on Contributions of
Hans Reuter 137
F. Demonstration Program, 1928 142
G. Newspaper Article, Blackhawk Archery Club 145
BIBLIOGRAPHY 147
v
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE Page
1 Hans Christopher Reuter: Master Teacher vii
2 Poem, Composed by William Reuter's Students 32
3 Hans Reuter Highjumping 36
4 Pentathlon and Other Awards 41
5 Turner Friends and Associates 49
6 One of the World's Best Equipped Gymnasiums, 1920 58
7 Movement Education 83
8 Inventions - Bow Seat, Timer and Manikin 96
9 Hans C. Reuter, Artist 102
10 Grand Old Man of Curling 105
vi
FIGURE 1
HANS CHRISTOPHER REUTER: MASTER TEACHER
vii
viii
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This study is concerned with the life and contributions
of
Hans C. Reuter to the field of physical education.
Through his heri-
tage and education at The Normal College of The American
Gymnastic
Union, he typifies the kind of influence which the
German Turners
exerted on the physical education programs in this
country. This study
is concerned with one man's efforts and contributions in
the field of
physical education at La Crosse State Teachers College
and in the
State of Wisconsin.
The purpose of this study is to record the influence of
Hans
C. Reuter in the field of physical education at La
Crosse State
Teachers College and in the State of Wisconsin. Through
a biograph-
ical study of Hans C. Reuter who had been well
indoctrinated by the
American Tumverein Movement, this study proposes to show
that he
was a man of transition. He used his philosophy and
training in
building a physical education curriculum which was
inculcated in a
teacher training program.
This investigation uses the biographical approach to the
historical methods of research. The original sources
investigated are:
lBooks, papers, letters, published and unpublished
articles, awards,
1
2
course of studies, salary lists, diplomas, catalogs,
minutes of
faculty meetings at La Crosse, Wisconsin, questionnaires
and tape
recorded interviews.
The secondary sources are based on materials gathered at
the
Wisconsin State Historical Archives and La Crosse,
Wisconsin
Archives, yearbooks, history texts and unpublished
master and doc-
toral thesis.
Hans C. Reuter, Professor Emeritus of Wisconsin State
Uni-
versity, La Crosse, Wisconsin, retired in 1956 after
spending sixty-
six years of his life in the classroom, laboratories of
gymnasiums and
on the athletic fields. It was here that he taught boys,
girls, young
men and women some of the valuable lessons of life.
In order to comprehend his philosophy of education and
his
contributions to the field of physical education, it is
necessary to
briefly review the history of The American Turner
Movement. It is
also necessary to view Hans Reuter's father, William, as
he was a
recognized teacher in the Turner Movement responsible
for the transi-
tion of this philosophy to the public schools at a time
when physical
education was in its infancy. Trained and guided by his
father in this
philosophy of physical education, Hans was able to carry
it into a
teacher training program.
1Formerly La Crosse State Teachers College.
-
CHAPTER II
THE TURNER MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
"Mens sana in corpore sano," a sound mind in a sound
body,
as advocated by the Turner movement, has become a part
of our great
American heritage in the field of physical education.
Although this
movement originated in Germany by Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
and had
political aspirations, it was in America that it
achieved its personal
liberty and aspired to new heights by introducing
physical training
into the public schools of this country.
As early as 1823, George Bancroft and Joseph G. Cogswell
organized an academy, the Round Hill School, at
Northampton Mas-
sachusetts. These men wished to embody the best known
theories, of
education in this school. They said:
We are deeply impressed with the necessity of uniting
physical with moral education and are particularly
favored in executing our plan of uniting them by the
assistance of a pupil and friend of Jahn, the greatest
modem advocate of gymnastics.2
This "pupil and friend of Jahn" was Dr. Charles Beck,who
with Charles
Follen, had been forced to leave Germany when Jahn was
arrested
Fred E. Leonard and George B. Affleck, A Guide to the
His-
tory of Physical Education. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger,
1947, p. 312.
2Emmett A. Rice, A Brief History of Physical Education.
New
York: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1929, p. 152.
3
4
and a ban was placed on Turners. These prominent German
Turners
had sought refuge in Switzerland, France and finally
landed in
America on Christmas Day 1824.
Beck was given the position as teacher of Latin and
gymnas-
tics at the Round Hill School. This was the beginning of
German
gymnastics in the United States. It provided an
experienced teacher,
an outdoor gymnasium and it gave the subject a definite
place in the
daily program.2 A newspaper article copied in the
American Journal of
Education for July, 1826, states,
...that classes begin at 5.30, others at 6.15, and
breakfast comes at 7; from 7.30 until 9 the only
exercises are in declamation and dancing, 9 until
12 other classes, 12until 1 rest, dinner at 1, 2
until 5 more classes, 5 until 7 exercise and amuse-
ment. At this time the classes in gymnastics have
their instruction when weather permits. The evening
meal follows, and devotional exercises are held at
8, after which the smaller boys go to bed, and the
rest study for an hour longer. 3
In 1828, Beck published an English translation of Jahn's
Deutsche Turnkunst, which was the first handbook on
physical train-
ing in the United States.4 "In the preface he tells us
that the same
courses which occasioned the publication of the
original, in Germany,
about twelve years ago, render a translation desirable
in this country."5
Ibid., p. 153.
2Ibid., p. 153.
Leonard, op, cit., p 238,
Rice, op. cit., p. 153.
onard, op cit, p 239
Leonard, op. cit., p. 23 9.
5
Dr. Beck left the Round Hill School in 1830 to assist in
es-
tablishing an academy at Phillipstown, New York. From
1832 to 1850
he was active at Harvard University. He became a
professor of
Latin and gradually his classical studies forced his
work as a physical
educator to the background. "At the outbreak of the
Civil War he
enlisted as a private in a company at Cambridge, but was
rejected due
to his age (sixty-three)."1
Charles Follen, Beck's companion, secured a position as
a
teacher of German at Harvard University. He introduced
Jahn gymnas-
tics. to the students in 1826, and established the first
college gym-
nasium in America. Follen and his students constructed
some crude
apparatus on a piece of ground called the Delta. They
made bars,
ladders, horses, suspended ropes, and set places for
running and
jumping. One of the vacant halls was also used for
indoor work.
Gymnastics was not a compulsory subject, but it was
popular and
large numbers took part on the Delta, hikes and cross
country runs.2
Dr. John C. Warren, Professor of Anatomy and Physiology
at
Harvard, led a movement for a public gymnasium to be
constructed in
Boston. Money was raised to guarantee a salary to Dr.
Follen and to
buy apparatus. In 1826 the first public gymnasium was
opened, and
men and boys of all ages came to practice exercises.3
Although widely
1George Brosius, Fifty Years Devoted to the Cause of
Phy-
sical Culture, 1864-1914, Milwaukee: Germania Publishing
Company,
1914, p. 82.
2Rice, op. cit., p. 154.
3Ibid., p. 155.
6
publicized, Follen must have felt the success of the
gymnasium was
only a fad as he resigned in 1827. However, he remained
at Harvard
as Instructor of German, Ethics and History until 1835.
Dr. John Collins Warren, a supporter of physical
training,
made efforts to induce Jahn himself to come to America
and take charge
of the Boston Gymnasium. Although he was unsuccessful in
securing
the services of Jahn, he was able to get Francis Lieber,
another
prominent figure in the German Turner Movement. In 1827
he accepted
the position at the Boston Gymnasium and he opened a
swimming school.
The swimming school proved very popular, but even the
expert gymnast
could not keep the Boston Gymnasium alive. The novelty
was wearing
off. The practice of gymnastics proved to be only a
passing interest
and by 1830 only military schools were promoting this
kind of physical
education.
The effort to transplant the alien system of gymnastics
without radical alteration failed completely . . . As
for the Native Americans, it was clear they would have
to test and analyze and alter and acclimate the foreign
ideas, and add something of their own, before a
system of physical education, suitable to the new
nation, could be found.2
In 1830 Dr. Warren, who had promoted physical education
and health instruction delivered a scholarly address to
the American
Institute of Instruction. He spoke on the effect of poor
ventilation,
Ibid., p. 155.
Ibid., p. 155.
7
unsanitary school buildings, improper seating, and for
directed
physical education in relation of physical exercise to
the problems of
general education. He also said,
The establishment of gymnasia throughout the country
promised at one period, the opening of a new era in
physical education. The exercises were pursued with
ardor so long as their novelty lasted; but...they have
gradually been neglected and forgotten at least in our
vicinity. The diversions of the gymnasium should
constitute a regular part of the duties of all our col-
leges and seminaries of learning.1
Although the practice of gymnastics in the literary
schools ceased, it
was still felt by eminent doctors and educators that
something should
be done for bodily development.
It was not until in the fifties that physical education
again
experienced a revival. Perhaps this was due to the fact
that we were
maturing as a nation and had more time to spend in doing
something
other than extending efforts to maintain a mere
existence. The text
books in physiology from 1830 on, contain information on
the value
of exercise. An educational leader, Horace Mann, devoted
a large
part of his Sixth Annual Report to physiology and
hygiene, and
Beecher's book, Physiology and Calisthenics,
acknowledged the
association of the two subjects.2 By this time enough
progress had
Ibid., p. 156.
2Deobold B. Van Dalen, Elmer D. Mitchell, and Bruce L.
Bennett, A World History of Physical Education. New
York: Prentice
Hall, Inc., 1953, p. 374.
8
been made to insure physical education a foothold in The
American
Way of Life.1
In 1848 revolutionary movements swept over Europe, which
resulted in thousands of liberal Germans migrating to
the United
States. They located, for the most part, in the northern
half of the
country, and the German gymnastic societies, Tumvereine,
soon made
their appearance. The Cincinnati Turngemeinde was the
first one
founded, November 21, 1848. The New York Turnverein came
in the
same year. The Philadelphia Turverein was organized in
May of 1849,
Baltimore in 1849, and Brooklyn in 1850 and a second
society was
founded in New York City.2 These Turnevereins formed a
union known
as the American Turnerbund in 1850. The first gymnastic
festival,
Turnfest, took place at Philadelphia, September 29 and
30, 1851, and
it was a decided success. New York, Boston, Cincinnati,
Brooklyn,
Utica and Newark participated.3
The official publication, the Tumzeitung, appeared the
same
year, and it reported that 11 societies with 1,072
members had joined
the American Turnerbund.4 This publication devoted much
space to
the cause of physical exercises, and it used
illustrations to accompany
the articles. It reported that the larger societies
equipped gymnasiums
Ibid., p. 374.
Brosius, op. cit., p. 83.
Ibid., p. 84.
Leonard, op. cit., p. 295.
9
and introduced the children to the exercises.
Two gymnastic Turnfests were held in 1852, one in
Baltimore
and the other in Cincinnati. Thirty societies were
represented at the
convention held in Cincinnati in conjunction with the
Tumfest.1
Wisconsin responded to this movement as early as March
of
1850, when Edward Schultz, a German patriot of 1848,
opened a
gymnasium on Market Square in Becker's Cafe Francais in
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. Two months later the gymnasium moved to
Spring Street
Hill where an open air place was arranged and gymnastics
was dili-
gently practiced. Another refugee of 1848, Fritz Anneke,
assisted
Schultz in conducting this school. George Brosius, who
emerged a
leader of this movement, was one of the outstanding
pupils. The
groups of men associated at this institution proposed to
organize a
Tumverein, but it never materialized. Another group did
form the
"Teutonia Tumverein," but it expired within a year. It
was not until
1853, when the "Milwaukee Tumverein" was born, that the
movement
actually got a foothold in Wisconsin. "The aims of the
Turnverein
were to promote physical education, intellectual
enlightenment and
sociability among the members."3
Since physical education was one of the most important
aims
of the societies, they were always presented with the
problem of
acquiring competent physical education teachers.
Therefore, when the
1Brosius, op. cit., p. 84.
2Ibid., p. 84.
Rice, op. cit., p. 162.
10
National Convention was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
in 1856,
a motion was passed to establish a Turnverein Seminary.
The
National Executive Committee was made responsible for
providing the
framework of the seminary.
In 1860 when the National Convention met at Rochester,
New
York, it was recommended:
That the seminary should be located in one of the larger
cities in which the student could work to support him-
self; that a practical, professionally prepared Turn-
teacher should be the director; that, for mental
develop-
ment, the subjects of anatomy, nature study, methods
of apparatus, the principles of Turnerism should be made
a part of the curriculum; and that every society member
in the United States should pay one cent per week for
the
financial support of the institution and that the
director
should write articles, both in English and in German for
the furtherance of physical education and Turnerism. The
recommendations were to be published in the local
papers.
It was also recommended that the societies should engage
2
the graduates of the course as teachers in their
societies.
These recommendations were accepted, but the Civil War
prevented
them from being carried out.
The Turners also took an active part in the political
life of
the country, denouncing slavery and favoring the popular
election of
Senators. The Know-Nothing Party, which took a stand
against
foreigners, opposed the Turners and ridiculed them even
at their
Turnfeste. In October of 1860, the Executive Committee
at Baltimore
Emil Rinsch. The History of The Normal College of the
Amer-
ican Gymnastic Union of Indiana University: 1866-1966.
Indianapolis:
B & L Composition & Printing, 1966, p. 5.
2Ibid., p. 5, 6.
Rice, o,. cit,, p. 162.
11
sent out a letter calling upon the societies to support
the Republican
platform and vote for Lincoln. "This advice was
generally followed,
even in the slave states. 1
In April 19 and 20th of 1861 a mob attacked the hall of
the
Baltimore Society and demanded that the National flag be
pulled down
and replaced by the State flag. On April 22, the office
of the Turn-
zeitung met a like fate, and the editor and members had
to flee from
the city.
At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, there was a
total of
157 societies located in 27 states of the Union, and
when the call
came for volunteers for the Union Army the Turners
joined in such
numbers that many societies ceased to exist, and many
existed in
name only.2 "The followers of Jahn who had failed to
secure freedom
and liberty in Germany fought for the freedom of the
slaves in America."3
It was not until near the end of the Civil War in April
3-5,
1865, that delegates from the Turner societies met again
to revive the
National Union. They named it the Nordamerikanischer
Tumerbund
(North American Gymnastic Union). They again affirmed
the prime
purpose was the promotion of physical welfare of men,
women and
children as advocated by Jahn and Spiess.
1Leonard, op. cit., p. 298.
Ibid., p. 295.
Rice, op. cit., p. 163.
Ibid., p. 166.
12
At the Cincinnati Turnfest of 1865 the resolutions were
again
passed to re-establish a school for training teachers to
teach both
boys and girls. It was at the St. Louis Convention of
1866 that it
was decided that this school should be located at New
York City. The
doors of this school opened on November 29, 1868, with
William
Hesler and Heinrich Metzner as instructors in physical
education.
Non-members had to pay $25.00 tuition, and the training
was free to
2
members of the Turverein. Nineteen men enrolled, and at
the end
of the four months' course, nine men remained and five
of them
received diplomas.3 The second course was given in 1869,
and then
the school was moved to Chicago.
The third course was opened in 1871, and George Brosius,
one of the most outstanding leaders in the Turner
movement for fifty
4
years, was appointed the superintendent of the seminary.
There were
sixteen students; six took the final exam, and four were
granted
teacher diplomas, and two received section leader
diplomas. The
second course opened in Chicago in the fall of 1871, but
ended
1Brosius, op. cit., p. 85.
2Rinsch, o. cit., p. 7,8.
3Rice, op. cit., p. 167.
4
Ibid., p. 167.
5Rinsch, op. cit., p. 12.
13
abruptly when the building and equipment were burned in
the Chicago
fire of October 6, 1871. "Not only did O'Leary's cow
kick over the
lantern that set Chicago on fire, it indirectly kicked
the seminary out
of Chicago."
The fourth course was reopened in New York City in 1872
with the same teachers as headed it in Chicago. Although
it opened
with forty students, it proved to be a disappointment to
the Turnerbund
as only seven graduated with first class diplomas. This
class was
given practical experience of actually teaching students
in the New
York City Schools.2
The National Convention at Rochester, New York in 1874,
decided to give the problem of furnishing competent
teachers to the
societies of the Turnerbund another final try. They
decided to transfer
the seminary to Milwaukee, and place the schooling under
the direction
of George Brosius. Instruction began on January 4, 1875
with thirty-
five students.3 Two of them were expelled for negligence
and four
withdrew during the course because they could not
support themselves
by day and partake in such strenuous schooling at night.
The second term was for 3 months, October 1875 to
January
1876. However, during this course it was necessary to
devote all
their time to studying and practicing, and a student had
to be able to
have means of support by his society before he came to
Milwaukee.
1Ibid., p. 13.
Ibid., p. 14.
3
Brosius, op. cit., p. 87.
P ' _i 87__
14
It was also soon discovered that three months was not
enough time to
spend in training as the strain was severe on the best
qualified of
students. The executive board in 1876, therefore,
recommended a
longer term and granted an increase of funds to carry on
the teacher
training program.
The third course was opened in Milwaukee on October 9,
1876
for four months duration. Eight students enrolled. The
fourth course
in 1877 was extended to a six months term and it
graduated one woman,
Miss Laura Gerlach.
In Mr. Brosius' report to the Superintendent of public
schools
we find some of his ideas regarding training when he
states:
In the practice of calisthenics the child is not taught
to
perform feats, as some persons believe who are unac-
quainted with the theory and object of these exercises.
The avowed object of calisthenics is to exercise each
limb with reference to its natural use, in order that
the
whole body, thus informly cultivated, may obey the be-
hests of the mind; it opens a means of development in
bodily culture and training besides affording
opportunity
for healthful recreation.
The simplest apparatus used con sists of wands, dumb-
bells, light weight clubs, etc. With such instruments
a great variety of beneficial, graceful, and interesting
exercises can be performed; and when whole classes
are exercised simultaneously, there will necessarily be
a healthful mental diversion given with the physical
training, particularly when the movements are regulated
by the rhythm of music or singing, which is usually the
case in well organized schools.
Ibid., p. 87.
2
Ibid., p. 88.
15
Another benefit to be derived from the practice of these
systematic exercises is the salutary effect upon the
discipline of the school. The pupil is taught to watch
every movement of the teacher and to readily obey every
command given, and in this way habits of promptness
and regularity are practically inculcated in every
scholar.1
A fifth seminar course was held in Milwaukee from
October 1,
1878 to April 13, 1879. Ten students were accepted,
including two
women. Seven graduated, including one woman, Miss
Bauer.2
There was no course offered in the year 1879-80, but the
year
1880 afforded an international opportunity to
demonstrate the sound-
ness and efficiency of the methods taught in the
Milwaukee seminary.
The Tumverein sent George Brosius with a class of seven
members
from the Turverein "Milwaukee," including H. Koehler, F.
Kasten,
W. Wm. Lachenmaier, C. Mueller, C. E. Paul, A. Schaefer,
and
0. Wagner (and Mr. H. Rathke of "Northside Milwaukee
Turner"),
abroad to participate in the Fifth German Turners
Festival in Frankfort
3
on Main to compete with the Germans. To the amazement of
every-
one, at home and abroad, the American Turners were
awarded second,
third, fifth, sixth, thirteenth and twenty-first prizes.
Herman
Koehler, whose mother was Brosius' oldest sister, won
the second
Ibid,, p. 89.
Ibid., p. 89.
Ibid., p. 89.
4Leonaci.p. 303.
Leonard, oM. cit., p. 303.
16
prize. Herman later graduated under his uncle in 1882
and was ap-
pointed Master of the Sword at West Point Military
Academy in 1885.1
The Milwaukee seminary school was continued until 1888.
"In the fourteen years ten courses were conducted and
106 students
graduated."2 The school was changed from an evening
school to a
full time ten-month term, which included systematic
instruction in the
following subjects:
Practical gymnastics, gymnastic nomenclature, the value
and use of the different pieces of apparatus, the
prepar-
ation of series of graded lessons in gymnastics; the
his-
tory and literature of physical training, including
systems
and methods, with the special attention to modem times;
the history of civilization, in connection with the pre-
ceding course, the essentials of anatomy and physiology;
hygiene, medical gymnastics, and first aid; the prin-
ciples of education, and practical hints derived from
them;
the German and English languages and literature; simple
popular and Turner songs; foil, sabre, and bayonet
fencing; swimming. There must also be frequent obser-
vations in classes in gymnastics, for adults and for
school
children, and practice in conducting them. It was deemed
desirable that every graduate should be able to use the
English language in his teaching.3
In addition a system of anthropometric measurement of
students was set
up, requested for admission and graduation were
crystallized and a
scholarship fund was established.4
The year 1886 is regarded as a turning point in the
history of
the German American gymnastic societies, as before that
date it is
1Ibid., p. 303
Brosius, op.cit., p. 90.
3Leonard, op. cit., p. 304.
Rinsch, op. cit., p. 30, 31.
17
considered German and after that date it is American. A
systematic
campaign was now undertaken to acquaint American
educators and the
public with the German system of physical education. The
Turnerbund
authorized its executive committee to appoint delegates
to the second
annual meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of
Physical Education. Three papers were presented and an
exhibition on
German gymnastics was given by classes from New York and
Brooklyn
societies. William A. Stecher presented a paper at
Philadelphia in
1892. A special committee of well-known men (Doctors
Hitchcock,
Sargent and Hartwell) was invited to attend the national
Tumfest in
Milwaukee in 1893 as guests.
It was reported:
Milwaukee had scarcely seen such an event as the
National Tournament of Turners in 1893. Parades, mass
exercises, monster celebrations, and gaily bedecked
city astounded the good burgers. Thousand upon thous-
ands of Turners from all over the United States came to
the city and put on their demonstrations.3
The work at the national Turnfest in Milwaukee, July
21-25, 1893, was
typical of the national Turnfest held every four years
(formerly every
two years). The festivals were held to show what
progress has been
made by the Union as well as its districts, societies
and individual
members. The program was arranged to show the physical
and intel-
lectual work of the men. The children and women put on a
few
Leonard, o,. cit., p. 305.
2bid ., p. 305.
3 .. 90 Years of Service The Milwaukee Turner, October
1943, Milwaukee: Milwaukee Turner, p. 29.
18
exhibition numbers. The work was divided into two
groups--Physical
Work and Mental Work, and these two groups subdivided
into mass
and individual exercises. A copy of the Milwaukee
program at the
Twenty-Sixth National Festival shows the scope of the
activities in
general.
a. Mass-Exercises for Exhibition.
1. Mass-Exercises with Iron Wands, by young men (under
35 years),
over 3,000 took part in these exercises.
2. Mass-Exercises with Dumb-bells, by older men (over 35
years).
3. Mass-Exercises with Indian Clubs, by young women.
4. Mass-Exercises in Calisthenics, by pupils of the
public schools
of Milwaukee.
5. Mass-Exercises in Calisthenics by the girls of the
gymnasium
schools of Milwaukee.
6. Mass-Exercises in Calisthenics, by the boys of the
gymnasium
schools of Milwaukee.
7. Mass-Exercises, Apparatus Work, by the juvenile
classes of the
gymnasium schools of Milwaukee (14 to 18 years old).
8. Mass-Exercises, Pyramids on 18 ladders, by the active
members
of the gymnastic societies of Milwaukee.
b. Mass-Exercises for Competition.
1. Male Chorus, eleven societies competing.
c. Individual Work for Competition.
1. Off-hand Speeches, five men competing.
2. Recitation, seventeen men and two women competing.
3. Essays in the German Language upon the following
themes:
1. In which respect is the German system of gymnastics
superior
to the Swedish or any other system, (a) in regard to
gymnasium schools,
(b) in regard to public schools? 2. How can harmony and
unity be
19
preserved in regard to the ethical, social and political
efforts of the
" North American Tumerbund ? 1
Dr. Dudley Sargent in writing his critical unbiased
report states:
The assembling of three thousand active participants
from
all over the country, including representatives from
states
as remote as California, Louisiana and Massachusetts is
in itself an achievement which has never been accomp-
lished before in America, and is deserving of highest
tri-
bute of praise from all persons interested in the cause
of
physical education . . .
. . . One of the worst features of all gymnastics or
athletic
contests is the tendency to reduce the competition to a
chosen few, thereby depriving the many of an incentive
for
which they may work. By the introduction of the group
system, and by having the apparatus work so arranged
that
each man can be working within his capacity, and the
expert
gymnast still allowed opportunity for his difficult
move-
ments, the Turnerbund has, in my opinion, overcome the
greatest objection to contests and put the whole
tournament
on a higher and broader basis . .
Another feature of the tournament that was especially
inter-
esting to me was "The old men's class," so called.
A notion prevails in our country that men of middle age
are
too old to exercise in the gymnasium, and that they
sacrifice
their dignity in engaging in boyish sports. There is no
time
in life when well regulated and judicious exercise is
more
serviceable to a man than between forty and fifty years
of
age ....
The practice of having a competition in mental efforts
at the
same festival with the physical exercises, and the union
of
the social features with it all, are highly to be
commended.
The Germans are the only people who have carried out the
Greek ideals in this respect.2
Report of the Special Committee on Observation of the
Twenty-
Sixth National Festival of the North-American Gymnastic
Union Tuly
21st to 25th, 1893, Milwaukee, 1893, p. 2,3.
2Ibid., p. 11, 12, 13.
20
The Turners also carried their campaign to promote their
system of physical education to the Chicago World's Fair
in 1893.1
The monthly periodical Mind and Body was started in
March of 1894
and was used to enlighten the public. A "Textbook of
German-Amer-
ican Gymnastics" was published in 1896.3 Turner
instructors, even
went so far in promoting their course, that they offered
their services
free of charge to schools. 'The result was the
introduction of German
gymnastics into the schools of a number of cities in the
Midwest, such
as Kansas City, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis,
Cincinnati, Milwaukee
and others. In this respect the growth of the German
gymnastic move-
ment was more decentralized than any of the other
gymnastic move-
ments. Practically every large city of the Middle West
treasures the
names of individuals who have given a lifetime of
valuable service to
the growth of physical education. Among the individuals
who were
active also in district and national affairs prior to or
closely following
the turn of the century were George Brosius, Carl Betz,
Henry Suder,
William Reuter, Karl Zapp, Hans Ballin, Carl Zeigler,
Robert Nohr,
,,4
George Wittich and Emil Rath."
For a brief interim, 1889-1891, the teacher training
program
was temporarily conducted at Indianapolis, under the
direction of
Leonard, op. cit.., p. 306.
2Van Dalen, p. cit., p. 393.
Ibid., p. 393.
Ibid., p. 393.
21
William Fleck. The program returned to Milwaukee in 1892
and
remained there until 1907. George Wittich, a graduate of
1881-82,
took over the leadership in 1902 and graduated
forty-three students,
twelve of whom were female students.
On September 23, 1907, the newly christened "Normal
College
of the North American Gymnastic Union,2 incorporated
under the laws
of Indiana, was opened in the German House of the
Indianapolis
Socialer Turnverein.3 Karl Kroh was the head for two
years and was
succeeded by Emil Rath who resigned in 1934. He was
followed by
Dr. Carl B. Sputh, who continued to serve until
September 1, 1941,
when the school was merged with Indiana University, in
accordance
with a recommendation of the 1940 Convention of the
American Turners
held at Camp Brosius, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Brosius, op. cit., p. 91.
2North American Gymnastic Union - henceforth will be
referred
to as NAGU.
Leonard, op. cit., p. 311.
4
Rinschp. cit., p. 79-80.
CHAPTER III
PIONEER FATHER
Wilherm Reuter, Hans Reuter's father, died in 1946 at
the age
of 89. After thirty-three years with the Davenport
Tumgemeinde and
forty-seven years with the public schools of Davenport,
Iowa, he used
to say that he taught physical education for a total of
eighty years.3
William Reuter was born September 21, 1855, Mequon, Wis-
consin, which is just outside of Milwaukee. He was one
of fourteen
children. During the Civil War period he attended a
country school
and then later the public schools in Milwaukee. At age
fifteen, he
received a free scholarship to Professor Engelman's
German English
Academy. Unfortunately, just prior to graduation, Mr.
Engleman died
and the trustees voted to discontinue the scholarship.
The family was
too poor to pay,so William had to go to work.
The Turners' Normal School of Physical Education was
moved
from New York to Milwaukee in 1875. William Reuter
graduated from
Wilhelm changed his name to William and will be referred
as
within.
2Davenport Democrat and Leader, March 18, 1931.
3Taped Interview with Fritz Reuter, Davenport, Iowa,
Dec-
ember, 1968.
4Unpublished Autobiography of William Reuter.
22
23
the school in 1879 with an A-i diploma. (See Appendix
A-l). In was
during this time that he was an understudy of George
Brosius.
After graduation, William Reuter accepted a teaching
position
in Peoria, Illinois Turverein. At this same time, he
also taught at
Pekin, about ten miles away, and at Bloomington, about
forty-five
miles away. He traveled back and forth by railroad, and
his railroad
fares amounted to quite a bit. Finally, he got a
railroad pass from a
newspaper man for making collections for him. William
was also able
to add to his income by conducting a Sunday morning
class in drawing
and modeling.
Mr. Reuter's stay in Peoria was not very long because he
accepted a call from the Davenport Turngemeinde in late
1879.2 This
was a much larger society, and they offered him $25.00
per month,
plus the dues of children's classes, guaranteeing
$600.00 a year.
In addition, on Saturday afternoons he taught at Rock
Island, just
across the river, and then he took the horsecar to
Moline where he
taught two classes from 8 to 10 p.m. Since there were no
cars after
10 p.m. and no trains until the next morning, he walked
the six miles
home. He did all this extra work for the sum of $10.00
per month.
Besides his work in the Tumgemeinde he accepted a
position as teacher
of physical education in the public schools. No
systematic drill in
physical culture was given the children of the schools
until 1887. At
that date the Board of Education determined to employ a
special in-
structor, and William Reuter, in charge of the Turning
school of the
Davenport Turngemeinde was secured. The minutes of the
Board of
Education of January 11, 1887 states:
That Professor William Reuter of this City be employed
for the remainder of the current school year as instruc-
tor in Physical Culture at a salary of $50 per month,
he agreeing to conduct a ten minute lesson in each
room instructed at least once a week, and to meet the
teachers interested, collectively, for an hour's lesson
once in two weeks.l
William Reuter's work in the public school was of very
high
caliber and attracted visitors from the surrounding
states: he became
nationally known in Turner circles for his outstanding
work. He was
especially noted for his model exhibition numbers at the
National
Tumfest. His classes won highest honors in every
National Turnfest
which were held every four years, his first being in
1881 and his last
in 1909.2
At the Turnfest in 1881 in St. Louis, Missouri, he put
on a
number with twelve men using seven pound iron wands,
other groups
used three pounders. No notes could be used, no
coaching, no cues
given, only the count in short snappy commands. There
was to be no
audience applause until all teams finished and the
competition was
Minutes of the Board of Education, January 11, 1887,
Davenport, Iowa.
Unpublished Autobiography of William Reuter.
25
completed. Mr. Reuter says, "On the next day when
announcements
were made and diplomas given, we heard the chairman of
the judges
call out Davenport Turngemeinde--with Reuter Turnerhouse
first place
with 100 percent by all judges, I actually wept. So my
boys with
their black, 72 pound wands beat all others with their 3
pound wands.
We, with only 12 men had outranked even Chicago with 26
men--and
members counted. This put Davenport on the map."
The Davenport Turngemeinde,under the direction of
William
Reuter, were also in competition at the Milwaukee
Turnfest of 1893.
They were invited to put on an exhibition at the World's
Fair in Chicago
in the same year. This group was the only class
officially photo-
2
graphed at that event.
William Reuter attended conventions and meets from
Boston
to San Francisco, New York to Los Angeles and from St.
Paul to Louis-
ville, Kentucky. He was well known and very popular,
consequently,
he got many job offers. He tells us:
There passed not a year in which one or more offers
with good inducements did not come in my mail.
All those cities before mentioned, as well as others,
wanted me. I turned a deaf ear to them all even to
San Francisco offering $100.00 in gold per month
when I yas getting but $85.00 in silver or green-
backs.
1Unpublished Autobiography by William Reuter.
Davenport Turn-Gemeinde, "Seventy-Fifth Anniversary,"
p. 11.
Unpublished Autobiography of William Reuter.
26
Major Koehler of West Point, captain and master of the
sword
and director of athletics and gymnastics, and a former
Turner said he
would like to have William Reuter as an assistant, but
since he was
over age, he asked if one of his sons might be
interested in a position.
Perhaps the best job offered Mr. Reuter, and the most
tempting and
hardest to turn down, was that of Presidency of the
Normal College at
Indianapolis, Indiana in 1909. After he declined the
position, an
article appeared in the newspaper Davenport Democrat:
and Leader
which headlined: "PROF. REUTER REMAINS HERE. Davenport
Physical
Instructor Declines High Honor Elsewhere." Mr. Reuter
remarks of
this offer:
After declining by mail, I received a long distance
call,
saying that secretary Nix would be in Davenport the
next day to try to convince me of the mistake I was
making. He came and was guest at my house. The gist
of our conference was his pointing out that as president
of the Normal College--the oldest in the country--I
would be a national figure in my profession. Having
known me as a member of the technical committee in the
executive board of the American Turnerbund, and knowing
of my never failing success in the past and with a
letter
of recommendation of my superintendent in their hands--
a letter such as are rarely written--and full knowledge
as
to my personality, etc., they wanted me and should have
me... While proud of being considered, I felt I must
decline. After bidding him goodbye at the station with
an "Auf Wiedersehn," he turned, while getting aboard
and said: "remember the salary is $3,000.00 a year and
possible increase. Should you change your mind, wire.
We will hold the place open as long as possible," and
with another "Auf Wiedersehn" he was off. 2
Davenport Democrat and Leader, March 18, 1931.
Unpublished Autobiography of William Reuter.
27
Although William Reuter did not accept the Presidency of
the Normal College of the NAGU at Indianapolis, this
college saw fit
to award him the Bachelor Honoris Causa Degree and the
Masters
Honoris Causa Degree.
In 1931, The American Physical Education Association
award-
ed him an honor award diploma, and he was appointed a
Fellow in the
Academy of Physical Education.
Davenport Democrat and Leader, March 18, 1931.
'CHAPTER IV
YOUTH AND EARLY TRAINING
An elderly man stood at the counter of a sporting goods
store
in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He wanted to purchase a bike
that had a
five-speed shift as this would make it easier to travel
the hilly terrain
of the area. The salesman asked the man, "How old is
your little
boy?" He answered, "Eighty-one." The bike was being
purchased
for the use of Hans C. Reuter, Professor Emeritus,
Wisconsin State
University, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Hans, a second
generation Turner,
is truly a "chip off the old block."
In Davenport, Iowa, on December 20, 1885, Johan
Christopher
was born to Wilhelm and Anna Reuter. Both parents were
natural born
American citizens of German immigrants. Johan was called
Hans until
he enrolled in public school. He was called John in
elementary and
high school, but when he went to work in the jewelry
trade, he reverted
back to Hans.
Hans had one older sister, Wilhelmina (1880) and an
older
brother, Friedrich (1883). He had three younger sisters,
Margareta
(1888); Helena, (1890); Anna Maria (1893); and a younger
brother,
William (1894).2
Note--hereafter referred to as Hans.
2Note--All are living at the time of this writing.
28
29
Hans began his formal education at the age of five
years, in
the Davenport Turngemeinde under the supervision of his
father, Wil-
liam Reuter. The Turner Hall was a large and spacious
gymnasium.
It had a visitors' balcony at one end. Near the entrance
was a poster
printed in German "Man darf," meaning "one may." Under
this head-
ing were several captions such as "one may remove his
hat upon
entering the gymnasium; let your cigar go out; refrain
from loud conver-
sation while class is in session, and so on." The
gymnasium was
equipped with apparatus to accommodate class work and
work by squads.
Hans describes their gymnasium by saying:
We had at least twelve climbing poles; six hori-
zontal bars; six pairs of flying rings; a series of
traveling rings; a dozen balance beams; six ladders
adjustable to the vertical, oblique and horizontal;
at least a half dozen pyramid ladders. Then too,
there were the storming board; the circle swing; the
pulley weights; jump stand; shot put; vaulting poles;
etc. The vaulting poles were of spruce, no spring
to these poles or casts as in present glass poles.
We had hand apparatus such as wooden wands,
three and seven pound iron wands, wooden dumbbells,
wooden barbells, wooden ring, reeds, Indian clubs
of various weights, long wooden wands about twelve
feet long. These were used by several persons (about
four at a time) standing one behind the other, grasping
the wands at their sides. For weight lifting we had
iron dumbbells. Then there was the Linsenstein, so
called on account of its shape, like a lentil pea;
lenticular shape. In using this weight in competition
it was placed on the palm of the right hand at floor
level, raised to chest level and then pushed up to
full arms length. When one couldn't push it any more
times with the right hand, it was transferred to the
left hand without dropping it or letting it touch the
floor. Then it would be pushed up with the left arm.
.. There were a great number of mats, the wrestling
mat, fencing equipment, large medicine balls that
we used to toss and exercise with. We had some
30
smaller medicine balls; we used these in the game
of battleball in the junior and men's classes. When
basketball and indoor baseball came in, of course,
that equipment was added. Also, when the play-
ground movement took hold, playground slides were
installed. 1
The classes were arranged according to age groups. For
boys,
the first class was from age five to nine years; second
class, age
nine to twelve; third class, age twelve to fourteen;
juniors, fourteen
to eighteen; men, eighteen years and over. This last
group of men
was known as the actives. The senior class was comprised
of men
over thirty years of age. Sometimes they called
themselves the Bear
Class. The girls classes were organized according to the
same age
groups, except that at age sixteen they entered the
ladies' class. In
later years, classes were organized for married women.
As a child, Hans had fun in the turner classes for there
was
always time for free play before and after the formal
activities. Every
lesson started with a warm-up period, consisting of
running, jumping
or hopping activities. Marching tactics, with or without
hand ap-
paratus, preceded the free exercise. The men's classes
often marched
while singing some of the Turner songs. Next came the
work on the
apparatus. This was done by the entire class working on
different
apparatus. The lesson usually lasted an hour, and wound
up with a
game or novelty race. The older boys and girls and
adults exercised
with wooden dumbbells, wooden and iron wands and Indian
clubs.
1Autobiographical Tape by Hans Reuter, 1967.
31
At the age of six, Hans was enrolled in the Davenport
Public
Schools. Unlike the well equipped Turner Hall, physical
culture was
conducted in the crowded classroom or in the central
hallway, if they
had one. When the weather was nice, the class went
outdoors. Hans
was fortunate to have a class in physical culture in the
public schools,
as most school systems had not yet recognized this need.
William
Reuter, Hans' father, had introduced and was teaching
this class in
Davenport, Iowa, at the time when his children were in
attendance.
The program was limited due to space and time allotment
of not more
than fifteen minutes a day. William Reuter visited each
school in
Davenport once a week to present the lesson and lesson
plans to be
followed daily by the teacher. The children looked
forward to this
weekly visit, and would applaud when William Reuter
entered the room.
They also made up a poem about him. (See Figure 2.)
The subjects taught in the elementary schools were:
reading,
grammar, geography, history, manual training and
cooking. Hans did
not like multiplication, addition or subtraction, but
when it came to
working out problems, such as how many rolls of
wallpaper or carpeting
required for a room, he was usually the first one
finished.
The Reuters spoke German in their home so naturally Hans
did
pretty well in German in the lower grades. However, when
he reached
the fifth grade he didn't like his German teacher and
got poor grades.
His teacher tried to be a strict disciplinarian, and the
boys took
advantage of her and often misbehaved. One day Hans
really aggravated
32
FIGURE 2
POEM, COMPOSED BY WILHELM REUTER' S STUDENTS
33
IERE is the nman the school kids know.
He helps each one to -.troner grow.
Gives the young blood circi lation:
Also aids their respiration.
Counteracts the school position...
Keeps them all in mood condition.
Creates love for animation.
Has them march in drill r:t'maltion.
Each class he will organizt:
And their bodies exercise.
Indian Clubs and Dumrb-)bells lipht.
They all use in manner right.
Kids all act when he command.
Little chests he makes expand.
Little hands and little feet.
As he counts the time will beat.
By his calisthenic rules,
He makes better all the schools.
And the children like his work.
From it they will never shirk.
He's for health of every kind.
Health of body: health of mind,
Dormant musles he eakes play;
Does it in a pleasing way.
At hiks Izr*I Eo' -thr r ban:
Do yvotf knmw *h'^ -*.hy -T, , n
Ask some mchol boly: he will s*y:
"That's Professor Reuter. plain as day."
34
the teacher, and she asked who had a good pocket knife.
Hans offered
his knife, and the teacher gave it to the boy ahead of
him, telling him
to go out and cut a switch off the tree outside of the
room. As he
passed Hans on the way out, Hans told him to cut a great
big one. The
boy was gone a long while and when he finally came in he
had a limb
about eight feet long with all the side branches still
on it. The fact
that the switch was so big and that the class period was
almost up,
saved Hans from getting a whipping. Hans remarked, "This
incident
may not be nothing to brag about, but it showed that I
used my head."
Like most boys his age, Hans had certain chores to
perform
after school hours. One task was that of shining his
father's shoes
( it was not the wax polish but the "spit and Polish"
kind); mow the
grass, chop and pile kindling, carry coal, shovel snow,
feed and curry
the horse, and hitch her up to the buggy for his
father's visits to the
schools.
William Reuter introduced physical education to
Davenport
schools in the horse and buggy era. Fanny, the horse,
knew all the
schools and the scheduled days of teaching. Fritz
Reuter, Hans'
brother, recalls that one day his father started out for
work and tried
to get the horse to turn at a certain comer. Fanny
refused to make
the turn. Finally, Mr. Reuter realized that the horse
was right, and
he should be headed for another school.2 Another time
Hans and Aunt
Unpublished Autobiography of Hans C. Reuter, 1966.
2Interview with Fritz Reuter, December 30, 1968.
35
Lizzie were driving down town to call for their father
at the Turner Hall.
This time they were using the sleigh (cutter), and the
runner of the
cutter hit the railroad track at a bad angle. Aunt
Lizzie and Hans were
dumped out. Fanny paused while the cutter righted itself
and then
continued on an easy trot until she got to the Turner
Hall. They found
her standing at the hitching post.
All during the period that Hans Reuter was enrolled in
the
public school system in Davenport, he was also enrolled
in the Daven-
port Tumgemeinde. It was here that Hans got most of his
training and
achieved recognition for his athletic ability. A report
card, which was
developed by William Reuter for the Turngemeinde, shows
that Hans
excelled in his work. (See Appendix B-1.) It is
interesting to note the
criteria on which the grades were based. (Appendix B-2.)
It was the philosophy of the Turners to strive for
all-around
physical development. Everyone in the various boys and
mens classes
took part in an annual "Prize Turning" event, usually
held in June or
July. These were invitational meets. All such contests
included
events for gymnastic skills, activities for speed, and
activities for
strength. The participants were judged on a point
system. The events
varied with each meet. The typical meet consisted of
competition
chosen from the following activities: high jump;
high-far jump; hop,
step and jump; three successive broad jumps; running
broad jump;
shot put; pole vault; javelin throw; and hand-over-hand
climbing. Each
man competed in all events and his standing was
determined on the
basis of total points earned. (See Figure 3.)
36
FIGURE 3
HANS REUTER HIGHJUMPING
37
38
Hans Reuter recalls one of the meets held in the Village
of
Eldridge, Iowa:
When a downpour of rain interrupted the competition
just before the last event, the pole vault, was to
start. By the time it cleared off so we could start
the vaulting, it was growing quite late and because
of the surrounding trees, dusk crept upon us. The
result was that by the time there were just a few of
us still in it, it was so dark we had difficulty seeing
the take off and the crossbar. We finished the last
few vaults by the light of a kerosene barn lantern in
the hands of a man on a ladder and a candle placed
at the take off. By the way, our vaulting poles were
spruce, no spring in them as in the modern poles.1
In 1905 Hans Reuter and his brother, Fritz, were members
of
the class that represented the Davenport Turngemeinde at
the National
Turnfest at Indianapolis. As usual, William Reuter's
class received
an excellent rating for the model exercises. This was a
drill using
wooden dumbbells.
This was Hans' first experience at a National Fest. When
he
arrived at the State Fairgrounds where the activities
were held, he
found all the participants encamped in army tents, and
those tents
allocated to his group were not yet set up. Since it was
already late
evening, they did not have time to set them up that day,
so they took
the tents to the exhibition hall and placed them on
tables and shelves
and tried to sleep on them. It proved to be a restless
night for no
matter which way they turned, they still felt the knots
or were tangled
in the ropes. They didn't get much rest for the next
several days of
rough competition.
1Autobiography by Hans Reuter, 1967.
39
The tents were set up the next day, but while the
participants
were competing in the halls, there was a rainstorm. When
they ar-
rived back at the fairgrounds, they found the dirt
horse-racing track
practically flooded. They had to cross this track to get
to their tents.
Hans tells us, "to save us the almost impossible task of
cleaning up
our shoes the next morning, we removed them but kept on
our sox.
In this way, when we took off the sox the mud clung to
them and not to
our feet."1
On the last night of the Festival, the Davenport Turners
stayed
in the city celebrating at the "German House" which was
the head-
quarters. When they got ready to take the street car
back to the
grounds, the cars were already so crowded that they
would no longer
stop to pick up passengers. The only way they could get
back was to
walk the five miles. This they did, doing fancy marching
tactics on
the way.
Both Hans and Fritz took part in the Pentathlon (a group
of
five events) at Indianapolis. To qualify for a place,
one had to make
at least seven points in each event, and the person
getting the highest
total was the winner. Six of the Davenport members
entered this
event. Hans was the youngest member of the group. The
event started
with hand-over-hand climbing and Hans saw his fellow
Turners, one
after the other, fail to make the required time in
climbing. He felt
rather disheartened until he and brother Fritz
qualified. They not only
Unpublished Autobiography by Hans C. Reuter, p. 17.
40
qualified in the other events, but Fritz ranked fifth
and Hans ranked
fourteenth. (First place awards H. C. Reuter, 1898,
1900, 1906 and
1907 are shown in Appendix A-2 through A-5.)
Hans Reuter reached the pinnacle of his success as an
indiv-
idual Turner when he won the Pentathlon at the next
National Turnfest
in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1909. Hans tells us,
This pentathlon consisted of the following five events:
pole vault, high jump, 100 yard dash, hand-over-
hand climbing, and the shot put. You may note that
the combination consisted of events of speed, strength,
and skill, in various combinations. I qualified in
each event and at the distribution of awards, I was
naturally anxious to know how many ranked ahead of
me. When the winner was announced, I did not catch
the name. I asked the gang around me, "Who did
they say?" They gave me a good slap on the shoulder
and shouted, "You, you, go up there and get your
diploma." Needless to say, I was very much surprised
and felt pretty good about it.1 (See Appendix A-6.)
Hans' sisters, Gretchen and Helen, who also participated
in this Turn-
fest, shared his joy. William Reuter, his coach, was
very proud of
his son. (See Figure 4 and Appendix A-7.)
The Davenport Turners also came through with highest
honors
in the exhibition number. Hans Reuter described this
exhibition:
This time they used long wands. These were about
twelve feet long and about one and one half inches
in diameter. They were carried horizontally at our
sides, one in each hand. There were about five men
between each two wands, one man behind the other.
At first thought it might seem that this sort of drill
would be easy, each one pulling the other along.
More often, the person making a mistake would be
pulled off his feet by the other four men. We did our
marching drill first and then, in an ingenious manner,
Unpublished Autobiography of Hans Reuter, p. 18.
41
FIGURE 4
PENTATHLON AND OTHER AWARDS
42
43
passed the wands, which were lying at the side,
over head to each row. This was all synchronized
with music. We made quite a hit with the audience
as well as being given a high rating by the judges.
We were asked to repeat the performance at the
downtown exhibit-place and again later for moving
pictures.
The Davenport Democrat and Leader headlined "Hans Reuter
Captures First Prize in the Big Five Event Contest." It
stated, "In the
five event contest, second only in importance to the
individual con-
test, Hans Reuter of Davenport was first and Otto Witt,
also of Daven-
port, was sixth. This was in competition with the entire
world and is
certainly a glorious victory for Davenport." The paper
goes on to
relate that the Davenport Turners will be returning home
on their
special train and are scheduled to reach Rock Island
depot at 9:30
o'clock. Friends and admirers will accord them a
"tremendous ovation
at the train.1
In addition to the athletic events in which Hans Reuter
so
avidly participated in his youth, he also took an active
part in the
social activities of the Turners. The Davenport Turner
Hall was the
center of social life for the entire family. There they
held the Annual
Exhibition, the Christmas Party, Bird-Shooting Prize,
Masquerade Ball,
the Sylvester Ball (New Years) and Bazaars. It was at
the Turner Hall
that Hans met Ella Mass, his sweetheart and future wife.
Democrat and Leader, 1909.
_ , .
CHAPTER V
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING EXPERIENCE BEFORE IA CROSSE
The Cincinnati Turnfest of 1909 was the last Turnfest in
which
Hans Reuter participated as a member of the Davenport
Turners. Although
this brought to an end the period of education at the
Davenport Tum-
gemeinde under his father, Hans' public school education
had already
ended in 1902. Hans had quit in his junior year of high
school to enter
an apprenticeship with M. E. Nabsted in the jewelry
manufacturing
trade. As an apprentice, he did the work on all of his
Turner medals,
except the laying out and engraving.
Hans Reuter might have continued to work as a jeweler,
but
for one incident in 1910, which demonstrates his quality
of independent
action. He relates,
The circumstances leading to my quitting was the fact
that the boss had posted a notice to the effect that
anyone not liking the way the shop was run could quit.
When I saw this notice, I asked the rest of the em-
ployes what they thought about it and what they in-
tended to do about it. They merely shrugged their
shoulders and said nothing. Some of the men were
married and, of course, it was not so easy to just quit.
I told them that I knew what I was going to do. When
the end of the work day came around, I remained at my
bench and started sorting out my tools from the company
tools, wrapped them up in my apron, and got ready to
leave. The boss, who was checking over the day's
work, was watching me and finally came over and asked
what was up. I told him that I was taking his advice
44
45
according to the notice he had posted. He asked
whether I did not like the way the shop was run.
I told him that was right, whereupon he said, "Well
you're cutting your own throat." That was all there
was to it. I had no plans for the future. I knew
also that, because of the slack season, it would be
impossible to get another job at the trade. Also, I
would have to go to one of the larger cities because
there were no other manufacturing jewelry shops in
Davenport or any of the surrounding cities.1
Fritz Reuter, who was teaching in Cincinnati, Ohio at
this
time, persuaded Hans to come there in search of work.
Nic Seuss,
teacher of the North Cincinnati Turnverein and
Supervisor of the Park
Commission playground offered Hans a job in the Sinton
Park Play-
ground. Here he had charge of the boys. (See letter of
advice to Hans
from his father (Appendix C).
Hans Reuter did not stay very long in Cincinnati because
his
brother Fritz was able to convince him to attend the
Normal College
of the American Gymnastic Union at Indianapolis, Indiana
to prepare
himself for teaching physical education. Fritz promised
to help him
out financially, and Hans Reuter enrolled in September,
1910. He
roomed with Francis Miller of Duwagiac, Michigan and
Rudenz Seifert
of Detroit Michigan. Miller, later became a teacher of
physical
education and football coach at Stout Institute at
Menomonie, Wis-
consin. Seifert contracted tuberculosis and died.
The course in physical education was an intense one.
Hans
was enrolled, with three other students, in the
elementary course
Unpublished Autobiography of Hans Reuter, p. 9.
46
which was primarily intended to prepare teachers for the
Tumvereine.
The gym courses were conducted in German, but in the
other courses
they attended classes in English with the rest of the
college students.
All the floorwork was taught by Dean Emil Rath. Because
Hans was
somewhat older than the rest (25) they called him "Dad."
The activity program at the Normal College of the
American
Gymnastic Union (NAGU) followed the pattern of the
German system
with emphasis on newer trends. Hans Reuter says of his
education,
We had more folk dancing as well as aesthetic
dancing and classic dance of the Chalif school
which were popular at that time. Everything
except boxing, wrestling, swimming, athletics
and advanced apparatus was co-educational.
We did practice teaching with the classes in the
Turnvereine and in the public schools. Although
I received my formal teacher training here at
Indianapolis, I feel that it really started when
I was in the boys' classes in the Davenport Turn-
gemeinde. As I progressed to the next higher
age group, I would assist father with classes
below my age level. I would help him set up the
apparatus, get the mats, offer assistance to the
less skillful, and sometimes act as squad leader.
During the year that Hans Reuter was in college, Mr.
Robert
Nix, the president of the American Turners died. He was
also pres-
ident of the national organization, so appropriate
memorial services
were held for him in the auditorium of the Athenaeum.
Hans was
selected to hold the national flag of the Turners. He
wore the grey
flannel uniform of the Active Turner and he stood on a
platform just
Autobiographical Tape by Hans Reuter, 1967.
47
behind a portrait of Mr. Nix. The ceremony was a rather
long one and
Hans became weak from standing erect and rigidly at
attention for so
long. Just as the program ended and he was about to
collapse. Dr.
Sputh noticed him and rushed to his assistance.
Early in the spring of that college year, Dr. Sputh
asked the
class members to enter the Indianapolis City
Championship Track and
Field Meet sponsored by Butler University. Although the
class had not
started the outdoor program or done any track and field
work indoors,
they agreed to participate. Hans had to borrow a
vaulting pole at the
meet, as they wouldn't let him board the street car with
his vaulting
pole. In spite of this, he won first place in the pole
vault. The next
day his picture appeared in the newspaper with the
caption, "Daddy
Reuter Vaults 11 Feet With Strange Pole."
Hans Reuter graduated from NAGU on June 15, 1911, with a
one year Elementary Certificate. He was offered a job in
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania with the Turners, another job in Ludlow,
Colorado with
the Turners and public schools, and a third job in St.
Paul, Minnesota.
He accepted the position in St. Paul at the Mechanic
Arts High School
because he thought it would be a better stepping stone
for the future.
His salary was $1,050.00 per year.
In the spring of 1912, William Reuter recommended Hans
for
the job opening at the Indianapolis Turvereine. Hans
accepted the
position because it would give him experience with all
ages of boys
and girls, six years old through adolescents and adults.
He carried
on the usual Turner program plus folk and aesthetic
dancing. The
48
classes were held after school and evening hours. This
enabled him
to also teach several classes during the day at the
Normal College.
In this first year, 1913, that Hans Reuter was a teacher
in
the Turvereine, he was confronted with the task of
preparing the active
class for the National Turnfest held in Denver, Colorado
in June. He
also had to prepare a model exhibition number for the
actives and
ladies.
The trip to Denver was made by special train. Hans
Reuter
married Ella Mass on April 28 of that year, and since
his work had
prevented him from taking a honeymoon, he looked upon
this trip with
about one hundred fellow Turners, as the honeymoon trip.
The Turners from Indianapolis were not very strong in
gym-
nastic and athletic competition, but they received
highest honors for
the model drill. William Reuter, who was now retired
from teaching
in the Tumverein, was watching the Tunfest. It was a
great satis-
faction to him to see his son following in his
footsteps.
Through associations, Hans Reuter got to know many of
his
father's colleagues among the Turners. Many had been
teachers in
the Tumverein before becoming supervisors in the public
schools.
There was Henry Suder, Chicago, followed by Max Stress
and August
Pritzlaff; Alvin Kindervater of St. Louis; William
Stecher of Philadelphia;
Carl Ziegler of Cincinnati; Carl Burkhardt of Buffalo;
George Wittich,
his brother's teacher, of Milwaukee; George Brosius, his
father's
teacher, of Milwaukee; and Emil Rath, his own teacher,
of Indian-
apolis. (See Figure 5.)
49
FIGURE 5
TURNER FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES
Front Row:
Emil Hocke, Otto Stefhans, Andrew Thama, William
Nicholi,
Mr. Schorer, Theo Stemfhel, Mr. Krinnel, Curt Fall,
William Reuter, , Dr. Robert Nohr.
Second Row: _______, Otto Schissel, Carl Hein, ___ .
Top Row: ___, William Stecher, Mr. Bachman, Max Straus,
Ernest Klafs, ___, Henry Suder, Hans Reuter, Dave
Henschen, George Brosius, Dr. William Acker, ____
Mr. Etling, Mr. Hein, ___ , _ ___, ____
Miss Elsa Hein, Emil Rath,
r J
IL t~ 1
u ** <-^;-~~~~~~~
41 I'
no -IA
I
I i
L s -
LI;
c-
0
IA
ls
JA
*
51
When World War I broke out in 1914, Hans Reuter could
see
the chances of building up his classes in the Turner
organization
began to fade. Although he continued to teach in the
Turnvereine
during this period, he accepted a second job as a
teacher of physical
education in the public schools in Indianapolis. It was
at this time
that Marianna, his first child was born. His second
daughter, Ellen,
was born in 1922. Hans Reuter found that he liked
teaching in public
school as well as he did in the Tumvereine. He was
responsible for
the physical education program in fourteen elementary
schools. How-
ever, due to finances, his job was eliminated at the
elementary school
level, but he was re-hired as a full time physical
education teacher
at Shortridge High School.
Physical education at Shortridge was alternated with the
R.O.T.C. program. Since the R.O.T.C. instructor wanted
the classes
in freshman, sophomore, junior and senior groupings, the
physical
education classes were likewise so arranged, which was
to Mr.
Reuter's liking. Since physical education was
compulsory, he was
faced with the problem of doctor's excuses for the
accommodation of
the boys. Mr. Reuter decided to have these boys meet in
a special
class on Wednesday and do remedial work. He got a
stethescope so
that he could listen to the heart beats of those with
supposedly "poor
hearts." Within a short time, one by one of the "heart"
boys came
to tell him that they could take the regular gym class.
His psychology
had worked.
52
Physical education at Shortridge gained in respect when
the
basketball coach brought his team in to participate in
gymnastic
dancing to facilitate their foot work. This also helped
to develop a
good feeling between the physical education and athletic
departments.
Although the high school had limited facilities, Mr.
Reuter
tried to carry on a good program. He used the State
Badge Tests to
measure physical efficiency. He took footprints of each
pupil and
pointed out the anatomical condition of the arches and
toes. He graded
each pupil objectively and'subjectively, and tried to
develop a better
attitude towards physical education.
Professionally he was interested in promoting physical
educa-
tion at a state level. He was present when Emil Rath
called the first
meeting on September 29, 1917, for the purpose of
organizing an
Indiana State Physical Educators' Association. Emil Rath
was elected
president, Kate Steichman, secretary, and Hans Reuter,
treasurer.1
After five years of teaching in both the Tumvereine and
in the
Indianapolis public schools, Hans Reuter resigned his
position in the
Tumvereine to devote his entire time to his high school
work. He
remained at Shortridge until 1920, when he accepted a
call to La Crosse
State Normal, La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Rinsch, op. cit., p. 138.
CHAPTER VI
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AT LA CROSSE
In order to place Hans C. Reuter in the proper
background and
setting at La Crosse, it is necessary for us to consider
the growi. of
physical education at the State Normal School and La
Crosse State
Teachers College. In this chapter we will highlight the
changes in the
growth of the school prior to 1920, when Mr. Reuter
arrived, and
consider the changes during the thirty-six years he was
on the faculty.
A. Establishment of a Physical Education School
La Crosse was the eighth Wisconsin State Normal School,
and
it was opened in the fall of 1909. For the first eleven
years of the
school's history, it had one building, "Old Main," which
housed all
indoor educational activities. This building was three
stories high,
about 200 feet square, red brick, and it stood alone on
the sand flats
in the southeastern part of the city.
The philosophy of the first President, Fassett Cotton,
left a
lasting impression for the future. He believed
"Education must be
George R. Gelkey, "La Crosse, A Half-Century of Higher
Education in Wisconsin Coulee Region, " (1900-1966),
History of the
Wisconsin State Universities. Edited by Walker D. Wyman,
River
Falls, Wisconsin: 1968, p. 273.
53
54
for all the people in a democracy, and it should educate
the whole
person."1 Cotton believed that in order to achieve this
aim, the school
must have manual, industrial, agricultural, and physical
education.
By the fall of 1909, President Cotton and fourteen
faculty
members were on hand to instruct the 176 students at the
opening of
the new school. Four additional teachers, all from
Columbia University,
opened the "training" school. Six members of that first
staff remained
on the La Crosse faculty until their retirement from
active teaching.3
Mrs. Gheodora Youmans, a regent from the Milwaukee area,
was another staunch advocate of physical education and
did much to
promote legislation in this field. She persuaded the
Board of Regents
to pass a resolution establishing the policy that male
instructors be
provided for men's physical education classes at the
state normals and
that women's classes be taught by women.4 She also
introduced a
resolution directing the state normal schools to provide
courses in
physical education at all summer sessions. This
resolution eventually
led to the establishment of a specialized physical
education course at
La Crosse. Chapter 228, Laws of 1911, stipulated that
courses in
_. _ A
Gilkey, o. cit., p. 278.
Gilkey, p. cit., p. 280.
3La Crosse State Normal School, p. 2-3; Announcement of
the
State Normal School, La Crosse, Wisconsin.
4
Proceedings of the Board of Regents of Normal Schools of
Wisconsin, 1912, p. 12.
55
physical training be given in the public schools of the
state. There-
fore, it was necessary that teachers be trained to teach
physical
education. Since very few colleges offered professional
courses in
physical education, there was a growing concern as to
how this need
could be met. In accordance with the board's policy of
designating
various normal schools to develop specialties, in 1912,
the resident
regent and the President of La Crosse Normal School were
directed to
introduce one, two, and three-year courses in physical
education at
La Crosse and to employ two teachers to carry out the
program 1
Through this resolution, La Crosse became the first
normal school in
the state to offer a major in physical education. It
continued to be the
only normal school in Wisconsin to offer a major until
1958.
Carl B. Sputh, M.D., graduate of Butler College and
member
of the faculty of the Normal College of A.G.U.,
Indianapolis, Indiana,
was brought to La Crosse in 1913 to direct and develop
the new course.
The course was naturally influenced by his background in
medicine and
German gymnastics. The program consisted of a
combination of educa-
tional gymnastics or activity, which took one-third of
the day; courses
in human science such as anatomy, physiology, histology,
diagnosis
of disease, which took a similar amount of time; and a
final third of
the time which was devoted to professional courses and
electives. 2
Proceedings of the Board . .., 1913, p. 15.
La Crosse State Normal School, Bulletin of the School of
Education, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1914, p. 33 (hereafter
referred to
as Bulletin, School of Physical Education . . . with
date and page).
56
Dr. Sputh remained at La Crosse until 1916, when he re-
signed to again take up his medical profession in
Indianapolis, Indiana.
Gustav Heinemann, a graduate of the AGU Normal School
and Sputh's
assistant, took over the task as director. Military
obligation forced
him to resign at the end of the 1916-1917 school year.
The physical education department started the 1917
school
year without a full-time director. Dr. Sputh agreed to
commute be-
tween Indianapolis and La Crosse until the new director,
Dr. Fredrick
Maroney, was employed. He was a former schoolmate of Dr.
Sputh's.
Dr. Maroney did not stay long in La Crosse as he
resigned in June,
1918 to return to Boston.2
Walter Wittich began his career at La Crosse in the
spring
of 1917 and was destined to remain for thirty-seven
years. He had
served as assistant physical education director for one
and one-half
years before his appointment as head of the department
in 1918.3
Wittich, whose father was prominent in the Tumvereine in
the public
schools of St. Louis and Milwaukee, guided the Division
of Physical
Education at La Crosse through it developmental years.
The legislature had appropriated money for a new
physical
education building and construction had begun in the
spring of 1917.
1Physical Education Bulletin, La Crosse, Wisconsin.
1917-
1918, p. 7.
2The Racquet (Newspaper). February 12, 1918.
3The Racquet (Yearbook). 1919, p. 16.
57
However, it was not completed until 1920. The new
gymnasium was
said to be one of the best equipped in the world. (See
Figure 6.)
B. Early Years, 1920-1939
When Hans Reuter joined the teaching staff at La Crosse
in
1920, Walter Wittich, Robert Nohr, Raymond Keeler, and
Marion
Fessenden completed the physical education staff. It is
interesting to
note that the Turner influence was predominant from the
very beginning.
In 1921, Miss Emma Lou Wilder, trained at Posse Normal
School of Gymnastics, the University of Pittsburgh and
the University
of Wisconsin, joined the staff at the same time as Mrs.
Leon Berry.
The latter was a product of the normal school and
Harvard University of
Physical Training.2
In March of this same year, 1921, the Regents passed a
resolution requesting authority from the legislature to
confer a Bachelor
of Education degree upon graduates of a four year
training course.
This bill passed the legislature in 1922 and the task of
setting
up the four-year program began.4 In 1924, the Board of
Regents passed
another resolution which granted a certificate to
graduates of the
The La Crosse. (Yearbook), 1934, p. 137.
2The Racquet. (Yearbook), 1922, pp. 16-20.
3Proce s of B1921, p 8
Proceedings of the Board . . ., 1921, p. 8.
Ibid., 1922, p. 23.
FIGURE 6
ONE OF THE WORLD'S BEST EQUIPPED GYMNASIUMS - 1920
V !Ii I -
II
ii Si!i r I3 I
__ I4 1 }
Ii 11
I Ii
'ftIaL
AT
Y r -
60
physical education course which entitled him to a
license to teach this
special subject in Wisconsin for one year and renew it
for another.
"Upon presentation of satisfactory evidence of good
moral character
and two years of successful teaching, the graduate will
receive an
unlimited certificate entitling him to teach Physical
Education in the
schools in Wisconsin.
The name of the Normal School was changed in July, 1926
to
2
LaCrosse State Teachers College. Now, that the school
offered a
four-year course, the subject load of the students was
reduced from
30 to 18, in line with the requirements of the
accrediting agencies.3
With the growing reputation of this school and the
growing
enrollment, it was necessary for the physical education
department to
add new teachers. Leon Miller, La Crosse graduate of
1926, joined
the staff in that year, and Ross Lyon joined in 1927.
George Snodgrass
succeeded to the college presidency after President
Smith's short term
was terminated by his death. This was the same year that
Robert Nohr
left the faculty to head the department at the
University of Wisconsin.
Ferdinand Lipovetz came in 1928; Esther Hume in 1929;
Howard Johnson
in 1930; Elizabeth Rodgers in 1934. Chappell, Lyon, and
Hume
remained only a short time, and Keeler resigned in 1929.
This left
School Bulletin, La Crosse, Wisconsin. 1925, p. 21.
2Proceedings of the Board . ., 1926, pp. 15-16.
School Bulletin,La Crosse, Wisconsin. 1926, pp. 64-68.
61
Wittich, Reuter, Wilder, Miller, Hoff, Rodgers,
Lipovetz, and Johnson
to carry on the program during the depression years.
A physical education annex was completed and dedicated
in
March of 1931. This was a solution to the overcrowded
facilities, and
it also gave the women space for their activities. The
structure in-
cluded a large swimming pool, another gymnasium, and
equipment
room, orthopedic room, and offices.
The depression years directly affected La Crosse as it
was
designated as a special school for training physical
education teach-
ers. This training was considered by many to be a frill.
Many small
high schools could not afford to hire a teacher trained
in this special
subject. As a result, the college approved a new course
in 1931 to
improve the placement of its graduates. This was known
as a major-
minor course and enabled students to combine a physical
education
major with a minor in the academic fields of English,
foreign language,
history, mathematics, or science.
To help alleviate the unemployment situation in La
Crosse
during the depression, the regents made application for
Public Works
Administration in 1936, to construct a new training
school and a new
heating plant.2 These buildings were completed in 1939
and the
training school was a welcome sight for the student
teachers.3 The
1Bulletin, School of Physical Education . .., 1931, p.
46.
2
Proceedings of the Board . . ., 1936, p. 9,10.
3The Racquet. (Newspaper), February 9, 1940.
62
new training school housed a junior high gymnasium, a
multi-purpose
room, locker and shower rooms.
C. The War Years - 1940-1945
"The enrollment in 1931 had been 334; by 1938 it stood
at
212 in slow recovery from the depression; and by 1943,
it had dropped
to 109--the same number that had been enrolled when
Wittich came
to La Crosse in 1917. Of these 109 students in physical
education,
1
all but two of them were women." This drop in the male
enrollment
showed the effect of the draft on the college program.
Leon Miller, coach of this era, describes his basketball
team
during the war years by saying, "I had a one armed boy,
a diabetic;
I had a one eyed boy and a manager of the high school
team. We
played about a half a dozen games in the season."
By the close of World War II there was such a shortage
of
physical education teachers, that it was necessary to
grant a thousand
permits to teachers not legally qualified to teach. The
teacher short-
age was so acute that the curriculum committee approved
seniors to
take jobs mid-year in the public schools.
Ann Beth Culver, "Walter J. Wittich: Physical Educator
1885-1953," Unpublished Master's Thesis, Wisconsin State
Univer-
sity-La Crosse, 1967; p. 93.
2Taped Interview with Leon Miller, January 10, 1969.
3Minutes of the Physical Education Curriculum Committee
of November 21, 1943.
63
D. Transition Years - 1946-1956
With the growing needs of recreation during the war
years
and upon request of the State Recreation Association, it
was arranged
for the college to offer a Recreation Major. This
enabled a student to
accept a position as an instructor of physical education
or as a
recreation leader. The title of the department was
changed in 1952 to
the Division of Health, Physical Education, and
Recreation.
The influx of returning veterans to La Crosse created a
crisis
2
of overcrowding and the enrollment had to be limited. By
expanding
into the basement and using the fairgrounds in 1949,
they were able to
enroll 439 students. It was in this period that the
graduate program
was studied and approved by the Board of Regents,
although the first
Master's Degree program was not instituted until June of
1956.
Gordon Harry Bahr. "A Brief History of the Division of
Physical Education at Wisconsin State College, La Crosse
(1913-
1953)," Unpublished Master's Thesis, Wisconsin State
College,
La Crosse, 1958.
2The Racquet. (Newspaper), May 29, 1947.
3Physical Education Bulletin, La Crosse, Wisconsin,
April
1955, p. 3.
CHAPTER VII
CONTRIBUTIONS
A. Contributions to La Crosse
In 1920, President Fassett Cotton of La Crosse State
Normal
School was looking for a teacher in the Physical
Education Department.
He was firmly convinced that the real usefulness of a
school was
measured by the strength of its teaching force, and he
put forth great
effort to obtain a strong faculty. He was looking for a
man who could
inspire young men and women to a career of teaching. Dr.
Carl B.
Sputh, M.D., a Turner and graduate of the NAGU and
previous Direc-
tor of Physical Education at La Crosse, recommended Hans
C. Reuter.
Dr. Sputh arranged for an interview in Indianapolis,
Indiana. After a
short conversation, President Cotton said, "I like you,
and I will
hire you."2 Mr. Reuter accepted the position and made
the move to
La Crosse, where he spent the remaining thirty-six years
of his teach-
ing career.
At the time Mr. Reuter came to La Crosse there was a
dire
need for teachers in the teacher training program. La
Crosse had been
designated by the Board of Regents to specifically
fulfill this need in
The La Crosse Tribune, July 29, 1910.
2Howard Fredericks. Interview with Hans Reuter at La
Crosse,
Wisconsin, October 3, 1968.
64
65
the State of Wisconsin. McCurdy pointed out in 1919 that
the expan-
sion of the teacher preparation schools could not keep
pace with the
personnel needs of the public schools. There were
4,500,000 stud-
ents in junior and senior public schools in the United
States, and
15,000 physical education teachers were needed (basis of
one teacher
for each 300 pupils). In June 1916, 1,000 physical
education teachers
were employed, leaving a 14,000 physical education
teacher shortage
in the high schools. Thus, the demand for teachers in
this field would
continue to over balance the supply for many years to
come.
Mr. Reuter, himself, was a perfect example of what a
physically fit person should be. He had perfect posture.
He was tall
and straight, and weighed about 155 pounds. He wore a
little, well
defined mustache, and his physical features in no way
gave evidence
of his age. When he taught his classes he wore neat dark
trousers,
white shirt and bow tie. He looked as if he stepped out
of a dressing
room, and this neat appearance made the students want to
emulate
him. Mr. Reuter was "Mr. Perfection" himself. He never
asked a
student to do anything he couldn't do. He was very good
at demon-
strating and he did so with perfection until the last
day he taught,
at age 70.2
Ole Jorgenson, Athletic Director of Neenah Public School
System, was a student at La Crosse in 1922, and he had
classes from
1J. H. McCurdy, "A Constructive Program in Physical Edu-
cation." NEA, 1919, p. 201.
2The above description is a composite from
questionnaires
and interviews.
66
Mr. Reuter in those early years. He described his
teacher, "He was
straight, dignified and always fair. He demanded
perfection in all
classes. We practiced on the apparatus until our hands
were bleeding,
and until we reached the perfection needed. "
Mr. Reuter had a subtle sense of humor. One of his
students
related, "While working on a dismount, attempting to
interpret it from
Mr. Reuter's book, I tried to swing forward on the
parallel bars and
dismount. Somehow, I hooked a foot on a bar and crashed
to the mats.
The spotter had missed completely. Hans was right there
with con-
cern on his face. When he saw that I hadn't been hurt,
he straightened
up full height and said solemnly, 'Mr. Kime, that
dismount isn't in
the book:' I could see thathe was laughing to himself as
he walked
away.2
When Hans Reuter took over his teaching position at La
Crosse
he found the initial course, as set up by Dr. Sputh,
almost intact.
This was a combination of the German system of
Gymnastics and a
core of pre-medical academic studies. The physical
education cur-
riculum was a two-year course of study. It was expanded
to include
a third year and a college course. The two-year and the
three-year
Mr. Ole Jorgenson, Athletic Director, Neenah, Wisconsin,
Response to questionnaire which appears in Appendix. A
list of
respondents appears as Appendix D.
Mr. Kime, response to questionnaire.
67
courses were designed for high school graduates, and it
qualified the
graduates to teach and supervise physical education in
high schools,
elementary schools and gymnastic societies. The college
course was
open to college graduates who desired professional
preparation in
physical education. The college courses were comprised
mostly of
activity work in physical education and academic courses
relating to
physical education. Graduates of the course were further
qualified to
teach physical education in colleges and normal schools.
An arrange-
ment had been made with the public schools of La Crosse
to allow
practice teaching in the elementary schools and in the
high schools.
There were no public school teachers in elementary
physical education
hired in La Crosse. The elementary public school
physical education
program was carried on by the practice teachers under
the supervision
of the teachers at the Normal School.
From the very beginning the Turner influence was
predominant
at La Crosse. The men who preceded Hans Reuter on the
staff were all
AGU trained people. Although Walter Wittich, head of the
department,
was not an AGU man, his background was with the Turners.
The physical education course of study also reflected
the
program of the Turners. It included: educational
gymnastics (marching
tactics, free exercise with and without hand apparatus,
apparatus,
gymnastic apparatus, dancing, track and field, and
games), history
of physical education, anatomy and physiology, music,
physiology of
Bahr, . cit., p. 70-72.
68
exercise, first aid, anthropometry, corrective
gymnastics, childhood
and adolescense, psychology and pedagogy, hygiene
(personal, school,
civic, and sex), theory and methods, wrestling and
boxing, methods
of teaching, construction of equipment and practice
teaching.l
The classes Mr. Reuter taught in the early years at La
Crosse
were co-educational, except for gymnastics and boxing.
There was a
considerable change in 1924, when the physical education
program was
arranged according to the fall, winter, and spring
terms, and greater
emphasis was put on the outdoor program in the fall and
spring. Ear-
lier, the various phases of the activity courses were
taught by the
same teacher, sometimes in the same period. Now there
was a ten-
dency to become more specialized as the various
activities became
separate courses. Natural dancing replaced aesthetic
dancing. Ath-
letic, English, country dancing and social dancing were
added to the
curriculum. As fundamental exercises or "primitive
exercises" were
incorporated in the curriculum about 1928, the exercises
with hand ap-
paratus were less emphasized.
As courses were added to the elementary physical
education
program, they had to be organized and developed. In this
area of
course development, Mr. Reuter was a master. He
organized and
prepared detailed outlines for every course he was
scheduled to teach.
During his tenure, he organized and taught, at one time
or another,
the following courses:
1Physical Education Bulletin, La Crosse, Wisconsin,
April,
1955. Vol. LIV, No. I.
69
(1) Free exercises (at various times going by the
terms Calisthenics, Body-Building, Body
Mechanics)
(2) Exercises with wand and dumbbells
(3) Clubswinging
(4) Marching Tactics
(5) Apparatus
(6) Tumbling, Stunts and Pyramids
(7) Track and Field Athletics
(8) Speedball
(9) Soccer
(10) Swimming
(11) Folk Dancing
(12) Games of Low Organization
(13) Tap (Clog) Dancing
(14) Gymnastic Dancing
(15) Locomotor Rhythms
(16) Self Testing Activities
(1 7) Wrestling
(18) Organization and Administration of Physical
Education
(19) Child Rhythm and Singing Games
(20) Hygiene
(21) History of Physical Education
(22) Making Archery and Games Equipment
In addition to the course work, Hans Reuter coached the
gymnastic
team, was a critic teacher in the campus and public
schools of La
Crosse, and he did student teaching demonstrations. As
the college
enrollment increased and more faculty were added, he was
given fewer
subjects to teach. However, during his entire career at
La Crosse,
he continued to teach a course in apparatus, free
exercise, some form
of dancing, and he was a critic teacher in public school
practice
teaching.
In the 1920's, it was the responsibility of each member
of
the faculty to supervise practice teachers in addition
to their course
1Autobiographical Tape by Hans Reuter, 1967, p. 34.
__
70
work. However, it seemed that Mr. Reuter was taking on
more and
more of the responsibility as the school grew in size.
By the time that
a four year course and a degree was offered in 1924, Mr.
Reuter was
considered the Director of Teacher Training. Although
the school had
never appointed a director or coordinator of student
teaching, he had
more or less recognized this need and had moved into
that slot. As
the college expanded, all teachers worked with student
teachers, but
Mr. Reuter supervised the training teachers and
developed a uniform
program.
As an outgrowth of this program, Mr. Reuter developed a
syllabus for the elementary teacher in La Crosse Public
Schools to use
as a guide in continuing the physical education program
on days when
the student teacher was not in the school. This syllabus
also served
as a guide to the practice teacher in developing a
progressive well-
balanced program. Every La Crosse graduate was equipped
with this
syllabus as a guide when he went forth to teach. When
the original
State Curriculum was constructed, this syllabus was used
as a basis
for construction.3 It was revised for use in the La
Crosse Public
Schools in 1954, and again Mr. Reuter's ideas were
reflected through
4
his students who served on that committee for revision.
Interview (taped) with Glen Smith, Director of the
Division
(1954-56) at La Crosse, Wisconsin, March 24, 1969.
2Interview (taped) with Beatrice Baird, 1969 Chairman of
Women's Physical Education at La Crosse, Wisconsin,
January 10, 1969.
3Interview (taped) with Leon Miller, Retired: January 9,
1969.
4Interview (taped) with Ann Thomas, Associate Director
at
La Crosse, Wisconsin, January 10, 1969.
71
In the fall of 1954, Hans Reuter had a conference with
Dr.
Smith, Director of Physical Education at La Crosse, and
Mr. Reuter
pointed out that the school had never had a coordinator
of student
teaching. Without the title, he had more or less
recognized this need
and attempted to fill it. He received no credit for it,
but he had as-
sumed this responsibility with Mr. Wittich's blessing,
however, not
in official capacity. He had taught a full load in
addition to strength-
ening the teacher training program. At this time Mr.
Reuter explained
the need for a full time coordinator of Teacher
Training. Dr. Smith
related,
We talked at some lengths about this, and made the
title official so that he could be free to begin to
formulate some of the ideas that had been used in
the last decade. As a result of this, we studied Mr.
Reuter's program after his leaving in 1956, and we
appointed two full time coordinators for student
teaching. Much of what Mr. Reuter suggested is
still in effect. He wrote a student teaching handbook
which was actually a curriculum guide, used not only
in the public schools in La Crosse, but I personally
have sent out many of these throughout the country.
It was very well recognized. If I had to pick one thing
that Mr. Reuter contributed to La Crosse, it would be
the start of our present day professional student teach-
ing semester. 1
Since the program at La Crosse was based on Turner
tradition,
annually, like the Turner exhibitions, each school year
concluded with
a gymnastic demonstration in which every student in
physical educa-
tion took part. This demonstration consisted of floor
drills with dumb-
bells, wands and Indian clubs; apparatus exercises;
aesthetic dancing;
Interview (tape) with Glen Smith, Director of the
Division,
La Crosse, Wisconsin, March 24, 1969.
72
and games. (See Appendix F.) The purpose of the
demonstration was
to portray regular classwork activities. These
demonstrations were
continued each year until 1949, when they were voted out
by the faculty
because public attendance dropped and the students and
faculty lost
interest.
The first year Mr. Reuter took part in these
demonstrations in
1921, he was responsible for a performance that the
mid-term freshman
class was to present. This class had entered in February
and everyone
was curious as to what a new teacher and his one
semester students
would produce. They had prepared a drill to phonograph
music, using
long wooden barbells for the women and wooden dumbbells
for the men.
In the middle of the presentation, all the lights went
out. Mr. Reuter
called to the group to keep going, which they did. It
was a bright
night, and the moonlight shone through the translucent
windows upon
the performers, creating a beautiful lighting effect.
Although the
power was off, the wind-up phonograph continued to play,
and the
group received a big hand for their performance.
This new teacher was also soon applauded for his
excellent
gymnastic team. This athletic activity under his
direction experienced
a tremendous growth and gained recognition. In 1926,
"Six men
represented Class B for La Crosse, and won first place,
being the
Faculty Minutes at La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1949.
2Autobiography by Hans Reuter, 1967, p. 107.
73
only group to defeat the St. Paul Turverein for eight
years.
William Pickett, Supervisor of Physical Education at
Appleton, was a
member of that early team, and he says of his teacher,
"Hans Reuter
had a tremendous ability to impart his teachings to
individuals. He
could demonstrate any phase of gymnastics and it
appeared so easily
executed that all of his pupils at least tried. He would
say, 'Make
it look easy, Bill. Make it look effortless.' His
presentation made
it interesting. To me, he was one of the most dedicated
teachers
with whom I have ever come in contact. If Hans Reuter
were teaching
today, he could step right in and teach practically the
same course
that he was teaching in those days and it would be a
very acceptable
course in modem day standards."2
It was also through Mr. Reuter's efforts that La Crosse
never
eliminated apparatus, marching and gymnastics, but
merely changed
the courses. He pulled gymnastics through a very low ebb
until the
revival of the movement took hold in Wisconsin and in
the State Univ-
ersity System. At one point Milwaukee and La Crosse were
the only
two with gymnastic teams. Hans Reuter was not content to
see this
activity die, and he had as many meets as he could
arrange. Dr.
Smith says, "Today, as a result of his staunch beliefs,
we now have
every state university competing in gymnastic meets. We
would have
to give him credit also with the revival at the high
school level,
1The Racquet, (Yearbook). 1926, p. 66.
2Interview (taped) with William Pickett, Supervisor of
Appleton Public School. Jan. 17, 1969.
74
through his teachers in the State of Wisconsin."
Since La Crosse was founded on the principles of the
Turners,
the faculty believed that the students should have a
well-rounded
social life as well as academic. There were social
mixers, dances,
operettas, pageants, masquerade balls, Christmas
programs and picnics.
It became traditional for Mr. and Mrs. Reuter to lead
the grand march,
for they were a very graceful couple.
Mr. Reuter was chairman of the social committee in his
early
years at La Crosse, and it was during this period that
the annual picnic
was instituted. The first school picnic cost the
students twenty-five
cents, and they had to buy their tickets in advance so
that adequate
preparation could be made. This first menu included
charcoal broiled
beef tenderloin steak, salad, ice cream, cookies,
tomatoes and
coffee. Mr. Reuter and Mr. Leon Miller broiled the
steaks. The
highest number of steaks they ever broiled at a picnic
was 325. During
the war years they had to substitute Kraft Macaroni and
Cheese Dinners
2
or hot dogs and baked beans.
For many years Hans Reuter played Santa Claus at the
all-
school Christmas party as well as at the faculty party.
It was at one
of these faculty parties, just after the Board of
Regents had decided to
classify personnel by professional rank, that a comic
skit was
1Interview (taped) with Glen Smith, Director of the
Division,
La Crosse, Wisconsin, March 24, 1969.
2Interview (taped) with Leon Miller, January 9, 1969.
75
presented, and it was recommended that Santa Claus be
made a full
professor. A short time later he was made full professor
(1954), and
"Santa" wondered if Dean Graff had already known this
was to trans-
pire.
Mr. Reuter was also active on the Athletic Board for
many
years. It was through his influence that a budget was
set up for each
sport. Previously the athletic director used the money
as the need
arose. Consequently, very often in the spring, they were
hard pressed
for funds.l Arguments frequently arose in the matter of
the budget,
because Hans Reuter was primarily a physical educator,
and his
interests leaned towards physical education as opposed
to athletics.
He looked at athletics for what they could accomplish
for physical
education. He was more of an educator than a coach. He
held that
the philosophy of La Crosse should be to produce
physical education
teachers first and coaches second, and money should be
appropriated
with this emphasis in mind.2
"Hans Reuter was not a controversial figure. He was a
quiet
man. His quietness does not imply meekness. Where there
was a
philosophical issue at stake, he could be as stubborn as
any German
you've ever seen. He was not a militant type of
individual, for he
1Interview (taped) with Floyd Gautsch, Athletic Director
at
La Crosse, Wisconsin, March 24, 1969.
2Interview (taped) with Beatrice Baird, Chairman of
Women's
Physical Education at La Crosse, Wisconsin. January 10,
1969.
76
had an open mind, and he was perfectly willing to look
at the other
side of the question. If you presented your arguments,
they had to
be documented, and if convincing enough, he would
change." He
was a very reasonable man, and he was constructive in
his criticism.
Mr. Reuter was involved in several arguments in staff
meetings. He
and Mr. Wittich were very good friends and saw eye to
eye on most
things, but he did debate with him in support of student
activities on
the campus, and as a result contributed a great deal to
the social
program of the school. At another faculty meeting, he
argued in favor
of keeping Girl's Track and Field in the curriculum. He
lost the argu-
ment and the course was dropped. However, the course is
back in the
program today.3 At another time he came home very
perturbed over
an argument he had with a member of the faculty who was
at Ia Crosse
for a short period of time. He respected this staff
member's training
and research ability, but in this case he felt that she
was not prac-
tical, and she couldn't convince him. He did not usually
make com-
ments to the family, but in this instance he remarked at
home that he
felt this teacher was educated beyond her intelligence.4
1Interview (taped) with Glen Smith, Director of the
Division,
1954-56) at La Crosse, Wisconsin, March 24, 1969.
2Interview (taped) with Ann Thomas, Associate Director
at
La Crosse, Wisconsin, January 10, 1969.
3Interview (taped) with Beatrice Baird, Chairman of
Women's
Physical Education at La Crosse, Wisconsin, January 10,
1969.
4Interview (taped) with Ellen Reuter Ash. January 10,
1969.
77
Everything Hans Reuter taught was so tremendously
interest-
ing that students looked forward to his classes. In
spite of this fact
however, the students returning to La Crosse after World
War II had
been so strictly regimented, that they objected to
subjects with a
formal approach and specifically to the class in
Marching Tactics.
The students staged a rebellion in class which was put
down by Mr.
Wittich and Mr. Reuter. The veterans demanded that the
program be
re-evaluated, and as a result newer courses were added
and some were
consolidated. The co-educational courses began to
diminish until the
only ones left were dance classes. Mr. Reuter felt this
sting of
rebellion. He rolled with the punches and came up with
new ways.
The marching tactics presented was more like that of
marching bands
today, and it was done to music. The purpose was more
that of self
discipline and was used to get groups to an area in an
orderly manner
2
and under control. His marching tactics class had never
been on a
military basis, and the students that staged the
rebellion held Mr.
Reuter and Mr. Wittich in highest regard upon
graduation, for then
3
they could see value and purpose in such a course.
Hans Reuter was dedicated to his profession, and he
indoc-
trinated his student teachers with the philosophy that
Physical
Interview (taped) with Ann Thomas, Associate Director at
La Crosse, Wisconsin, January 10, 1969.
2Interview (composite of tapes), Mixal, Potterton,
Nevers,
Gershon tapes.
Interview (taped) with John Nevers, Supervisor, Oshkosh
Public Schools, January 12, 1969.
78
Education was the greatest profession of all, and its
benefits to boys
and girls from a good course are unlimited. "He believed
that the
teacher was the major vehicle of education, and he knew
of no greater
role than to be identified as a teacher of physical
education. He be-
lieved that physical education was a means to an end, a
way of en-
riching life and contributing to the self-concept."1 He
advocated that
"Physical education is education of the physical which
is basic to all
productive outcomes resulting from the many forms of
education. For
example, regardless of special skills in music, art,
etc., the end
result is governed by one's physical condition. "2 Mr.
Reuter prac-
ticed the philosophy he preached, and he has kept
himself in such
good physical condition that he still comes back to
college at age 83
to demonstrate Indian club work.
Mr. Reuter encouraged his students to promote physical
education through professional organizations. He was
instrumental
in organizing the local NU Chapter of the Phi Epsilon
Kappa Fraternity
at La Crosse, which is a professional organization for
Men's Physical
Education. Mr. Reuter belonged to the Alpha Chapter of
this organiza-
tion in Indianapolis, Indiana. (See Appendix A-8.) He
was also an
advisor of the "L" Club, which was the athletic letter
club.
As a teacher Hans Reuter was a master. He was strict but
always fair. The students respected him. He didn't
demand respect;
Mr. Fred Lengfeld's response to questionnaire.
2Emma Lou Wilder Letter.
79
he earned it. His diagnostic ability was exceptional. He
could always
tell what went wrong when one attempted something and it
didn't work
out right. When the bell rang for class the students
were ready for
action as he was punctual and well organized. The
students were so
busy working the whole class period that there was no
time for discip-
line problems. He was a real professional, and he got
the most out of
every one of his students. He thought everyone should be
able to do
everything within his limitations.l He showed no
favoritism. His
daughter, Mariana, was his student in apparatus in her
junior year.
She had to have her appendix removed that year, and when
she returned
to class she had to make up a test. She had done her
pole and rope
climbing, but somehow there was no record of it so she
had to do it
2
As students, the juniors and seniors felt closer to Mr
Ruter
As students, the juniors and seniors felt closer to Mr.
Reuter.
It seemed through growth, they had to prove their worth
to him. When
they went to La Crosse as freshmen, he didn't seem to
pay much
attention to their name, and he would order them around
and work them
hard. By the second year, he would call a student by his
last name
and the third year by his first name. The fourth year
the student went
by a nickname. He just didn't accept you as belonging to
the higher
echelon of aspiring physical educators until you earned
a place. 3
Above description is a composite of questionnaires.
Interview (taped) with Marianna Reuter Moe, Black River
Falls, Wisconsin, March 23, 1969.
3Above paragraph documented by tapes and questionnaires.
80
Hans Reuter taught the model class at Washington
Elementary
School. He was full of all kinds of tricks in handling
elementary
children, for he was a master with them. He revealed
these techniques
to his student teachers. He showed them how to work in
the most in-
opportune places--like in rooms with desks. He
demonstrated how to
get the most out of children in the least amount of
space and with
little equipment. This master teacher also proved to his
students that
they didn't have to scrap their program just because
they didn't have
commercially made equipment, for they could build
equipment. The
small children loved to use the pendulum timer and the
percussion
starter that Mr. Reuter invented. It gave them a feeling
of really
participating, for the act of taking the time was an
important factor
involved in the learning process.
Mr. Reuter understood the psychology of learning, for he
knew
that students are motivated by success. He employed this
method in
his teaching, especially in archery. The pupils started
working close
to the target--10 - 15 feet away--so that they got the
feeling of
success. Then they moved back further and further. Using
this
method, the pupils liked archery rather than dislike it
as they had ex-
perienced success in the very beginning.
The methods Mr. Reuter used were wide and varied,
depend-
ing upon his objectives. He like to use problem solving
or demonstra-
tions. In problem solving, he let the children
experiment with the
Personal Interview (taped) with William Otto, Physical
Education Teacher, La Crosse, Wisconsin, March 24, 1969.
81
equipment to see what they could accomplish naturally,
and to see if
they needed further instruction. When exposed to a rope
ladder the
child might try to climb with both hands and feet on the
same side.
He would find this difficult and might discover if he
put his toe on one
side and heel on the other side and hand on each side,
the ladder would
remain erect and it was easier to climb. If he didn't
discover the
easier method, Mr. Reuter would suggest that maybe there
was a better
way to do this. He thus imposed a new problem and didn't
destroy the
child's initiative. This was in contrast with the formal
Turner training
where one was told exactly what to do. He was also a
great believer
that the demonstration method is the quickest way to
learn. Bill Otto,
a student in one of the last classes Hans Reuter taught
at La Crosse,
states, "We had to do things we thought were impossible,
and then
we would see a 70 year old man jump on the equipment and
make com-
plete fools out of a bunch of youngsters. He didn't do
this with this
idea in mind, but to show us that it could be done. He
was modest
,2
and silent about his abilities.
Professor Reuter could switch from the formal to the
informal
in his methods, depending on the material to be
presented. With his
gymnastics, it was formal. In presenting tumbling and
stunts, it was
informal. He would say to his class, "Let's make this up
to music."
1Interview, (taped) with Ernest Gershon, Graduate
Director,
La Crosse, Wisconsin, May 22, 1969.
2Interview (taped) with William Otto, Physical Education
Teacher, La Crosse, Wisconsin, March 24, 1969.
Interview (taped) with Ann Thomas, Associate Director,
La Crosse, Wisconsin, January 10, 1969.
82
Much of his activity was done to music, even archery. In
elementary
rhythms, the exercises were done to "Mule Train"--jump
hops, side
movements and straddle hops.
This master teacher was a scientific thinker, and he
believed
there was a definite association in whatever you did. He
analyzed
movements continually, and he broke them down into
parts. Each
dance was broken down into separate components and put
back into the
whole. He taught skills the same way. He would analyze
every move-
ment of throwing a ball, and he would break it down into
the most
infinitesimal part and then do it as a whole. In his
teaching he real-
ized that there are certain movements that women can do
and certain
movements that men can do. He recognized the difference
in bodily
structures and abilities. "He chuckled when he saw this
new move-
ment education coming in and he said, 'Gymnastics,
ballets--there's
all our German gymnastics' I can see them all right out
there coming
to life.'"2 However, in contrast to the static and
formal movements
of the German Turners, Mr. Reuter stressed informal and
free flowing,
natural fluid movements.3 (See Figure 7.)
After training and observation under the master teacher,
the
practice teacher was armed with the syllabus and
expected to go out
lInterview (taped) with William Pickett, Supervisor,
Appleton
Public Schools, January 17, 1969.
2Interview (taped) with Ann Thomas, Associate Director,
La Crosse, Wisconsin, January 10, 1969.
3Interview (taped) with Ernest Gershon, Graduate
Director,
La Crosse, Wisconsin, May 22, 1969.
83
FIGURE 7
MOVEMENT EDUCATION 1930
-11~~~~~~~~~~~~·
85
into the La Crosse Public School in his senior year and
practice teach.
He had to make out specific lesson plans, stating the
objectives to
be attained. Mr. Reuter felt that things had to be
pointed somewhere,
and if you we re not striving to arrive you ought not to
be striving at
all. The objectives should be clear and within grasp. He
worked with
his practice teachers religiously asking them, "Why do
this ? Why do
that? What is the objective?" However, he was very
democratic in
that the student was free to develop his own techniques.
It was not until the last part of their teaching
experience that
Mr. Reuter scheduled his practice teachers to do tests
and measure-
ments. He felt that it was first necessary for them to
understand some-
thing about teaching to make the best use of tests and
measurements.
Then the student teacher could give tests and check
results. He did
not believe in using children for guinea pigs to collect
statistics. He
believed that children should enjoy activities and have
a broad whole-
some experience.
This teacher training program was a very effective one
as
determined from the feedback from the superintendents
who hired
La Crosse graduates. They kept coming back to hire the
graduates,
and they kept commenting: "They do not teach like
beginning teachers.
They know when and how to do the job. It's quite a load
off a super-
intendent's mind not to help solve new teacher's
problems.'2
Interview (taped) with Ann Thomas, Associate Director,
La Crosse, Wisconsin, January 10, 1969.
2Ibid.
86
Hans Reuter was a ravenous reader and he never stopped
learning. He saw some of the trends before they were
recognized. He
was continually studying and suggesting to his students
to try new
methods. "He was instrumental in retaining the best of
the 'old' to
balance the best from the 'new. ",1 Often times he
jolted his practice
teachers by telling them that they were the ones that
didn't like to
change and wanted to continue doing things the same way.
Upon his retirement from La Crosse State College in
1956,
President Mitchell said of Hans Reuter, "I am impressed
to this day
with the spring in his step, the smile on his face, and
the bounce of
his spirit. I am impressed most of all, however, with
the contribution
he has made to the educational program of the college,
to the students
of La Crosse State College and, through them, to young
people every-
,,2
where .
B. State Contributions
Hans C. Reuter's philosophy that physical education was
the
greatest profession of all, and that one must get
involved and be active
in promoting this profession, was demonstrated by his
participation in
activities throughout the State of Wisconsin. When he
first came to
Wisconsin in 1920 as a physical education instructor, he
was vitally
interested in the revival of gymnastics as a competitive
sport. To
Emma Lou Wilder Letter.
2
Bulletin, School of Physical Education, President,
Rexford
Mitchell. April, 1956, Vol. XV, No. 1.
87
stimulate state-wide interest, he traveled with his team
to present
workshops and demonstrations. Through the teachers that
he trained
and sent out into this field, he was able to build up
the gymnastic
program, and arrange for meets. Since the Milwaukee
Tumverein team
was the only challenger in Wisconsin, the La Crosse
gymnastic team
took part in the Northwest Gymnastic meets at
Minneapolis, Minnesota
and with Luther College, Decorah, Iowa.1
In 1920, the Wisconsin Physical Education Society was
inter-
ested in the inauguration of a state physical efficiency
testing program.
Since Hans Reuter had already done some work with a
testing program
in Indianapolis, Indiana, it was only natural that he
should succeed
to the chairmanship of the Wisconsin State Committee,
formulated in
1920 to develop the state-wide program. In 1928, Mr.
Reuter gave a
report on tests to this state committee which shows his
analytical
ability and his practical approach to a problem.
To the Physical Education Association of Wisconsin:
As chairman of a committee on physical education tests,
it is my view that before such a committee can proper-
ly function it should first have a clear conception as
to the desires of this association in respect to such
tests. That the purposes and aims in giving tests are
manifold. I am sure we all agree. For example, it
may be our desire to give tests in connection with re-
search along certain lines. It may be that we desire
to conduct tests to establish individual championships
in certain activities. It may be that we wish to test
the general health and physical condition of our pupils.
It may be that we wish to test the motor ability of our
pupils as a basis for prescribing or grading the various
types of work presented. Besides these there are many
The Racquet (Yearbook), 1925, p. 65.
88
more aims, all of which would undoubtedly be inter-
esting and may serve a useful purpose. It is self-
evident, however, that such a multiplicity of tests
could not be carried out at the same time with the
expectation of getting the best results.
It is my personal opinion that we select just one
aim to begin with. In this selection we should con-
sider both the pupil and the teacher. As far as the
teacher is concerned, we should consider whether
or not our project is going to be a help to her in her
general program of physical education. As far as the
pupil is concerned, we should consider whether or
not he is being benefited physically by increased
capacity or mentally by stimulation of interest, self-
interest. I believe that only too often in our effort
to provide facilities for physical education, whether
it be equipment, choice of types of work or lesson
content, we often lose sight of the fact that in order
to get the best results from our teaching, be it health
methods or simply promoting physical activities that
have a bearing on health and character building, it
is very important that the child is interested in him-
self or herself.
The committee adopted his recommendation that the
Society go on record
as favoring the Playground Athletic Badge Tests and that
these tests be
conducted on a statewide basis.
Hans Reuter became president of the Wisconsin Physical
2
Education Society in 1931. This Society later became
known as the
Wisconsin Association for Health, Physical Education and
Recreation
(WHPER).3 In 1953, Mr. Reuter received a citation from
this association
1The Wisconsin Physical Education Society Bulletin, May,
1934, Vol. IV, No. 2, p. 5.
2The Wisconsin Physical Education Society Bulletin, May,
1934,
Vol. IV, No. 2, p. 6.
3This referred henceforth as WHPER.
89
for his contributions to the work of his professional
field, particularly
through the areas of teaching, coaching, writing,
invention, teacher
training and curriculum planning. (See Appendix A-9.)
Orlo Miller, State Coordinator of Physical Education,
worked
closely with Hans Reuter on developing the state
curriculum. Mr.
Reuter's syllabus was used by the committee as a basis
of construc-
tion. He also cooperated with the state department in
presenting
workshops and clinics throughout the state.
Mr. Reuter was a regular participant at the State
Conventions.
His former students would look forward to these
conventions because
it gave them an opportunity to see the Master Teacher
again demon-
strating or lecturing. Even as late as 1960, over 200 of
his former
students attended a dinner in his honor, which was held
at the time
of the National Convention at Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Although Hans C. Reuter was an active participant at the
state level, his greatest contribution was his teachers
who carried the
Reuter philosophy throughout the state of Wisconsin.
Professional
people at the administrative levels tell us:
Graduates of La Crosse spread all over the state, the
Midwest and the nation. His impact is still being
felt by the many graduates who are actively teaching,
and perpetuating his methods and philosophy to untold
numbers of youngsters all over the United States.3
lInterview (taped) with Leon Miller, Retired, La Crosse,
Wisconsin, January 9, 1969.
2Interview (taped) with Glen Smith, Director of the
Division,
La Crosse, Wisconsin, March 24, 1969.
3Mr. Robert Kime, response to questionnaire.
90
His outstanding contribution to the state was no
doubt the unusual preparation of students for
their tasks and roles in physical education in
the many school systems which were privileged
to hire La Crosse graduates.l
He turned out fine students in physical education
that eventually taught throughout the State of
Wisconsin. 2
His impact in the state was felt most strongly
through his teachers. I have a master's degree
from the University of Wisconsin, a doctorate
from Indiana University, and one year as a post
doctoral student at the University of California.
I have also attended countless clinics, conven-
tions, symposiums, etc. Hans Reuter taught me
more, and has had a greater influence on my
professional life than any other individual with
whom I have come in contact.3
I feel that his greatest contribution to the State
of Wisconsin was through the development of
good teachers which followed his methods,
teaching, aims, principles, and philosophy.4
The Wisconsin State Board of Regents recognized Hans C.
Reuter as an outstanding educator. By Resolution 1304,5
the first
men's dormitory at La Crosse was named in his honor.
Governor Vernon
Thompson presided at the dedication ceremonies on
October 14, 1958.6
Mr. Lloyd Johansen, response to questionnaire.
2Mr. John W. Borchardt, response to questionnaire.
3
Mr. Robert A. Carey, response to questionnaire.
4Mr. Julius Juel, response to questionnaire.
5Proceedings of the Board of Regents of State Colleges,
Madison, Wisconsin, April 26, 1957.
6La Crosse Sunday Tribune, October 12, 1958.
91
The Phi Epsilon Kappa Fraternity presented a portrait
and a plaque
inscribed:
Hans C. Reuter
Instructor Author
Master Teacher of Physical
Education 1920-1956
This Master Teacher also gained some national
recognition.
He was asked in 1927 to teach at Chautauqua, New York,
during the
summer session.
March 29, 1963 the American Association for Health,
Physical
Education, and Recreation awarded him a certificate in
recognition of
fifty-one years of loyal membership to the Association.
(See Appendix
A-10.) As recently as 1967, Professor Emeritus Reuter
contributed a
historical tape for the AAHPER Archives. He related his
experiences in
the early German Turner movement and in the growth and
development
of the teacher training program in physical education.
C. Contributions to Literature
Hans C. Reuter was a prolific writer, but many of his
manu-
scripts remain unpublished. His objective in much of his
writing was
to develop the teacher training program. He worked out
extensive out-
lines for the activity courses which he taught at La
Crosse. "An
Outline of the Activity Program in Physical Education
for the Elementary
Faculty Records for Members of Instructional Staff of
Wis-
consin State Teachers Colleges, 1929.
92
Grades of the La Crosse Public Schools," known as "The
Syllabus,"
has often been referred to as, "My Bible for teaching in
those first
,I 1
years.
In 1923, H. C. Reuter and Robert Nohr, Jr. published
three
compositions entitled "Free Exercises," "Free Exercise
Drill," and
"Wand Drill."2 These were called Exhibition Drills,
which reflect
the Turner training of these two men. However, the
purpose of the
compositions was to help future teachers in preparation
for the annual
demonstrations. Specific instructions were written for
the execution
of exercises to music.
Hans Reuter co-authored a text with Walter Wittich in
1925,
entitled Exercises on the Apparatus. Carl L. Schrader,
State Super-
visor of Physical Education of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts,
wrote the introduction for this text:
...The particular merit of this book does not
lie so much in the compilation of technical mat-
erial, of which there exists abundance, but
rather in the various methods of procedure in
teaching material.
The many men teachers in physical educa-
tion who have had little or no training in this
particular field, and who find themselves con-
fronted with the problem of teaching these exer-
cises and stunts on apparatus, will find in this
book a helpful guide which will enable them to
conduct this type of teaching, both more safely
and more intelligently than is possible from a
mere pick-up experience.
Mr. Frank H. Martin, response to questionnaire.
2Faculty Record for Members of the Instructional Staff
of
Wisconsin State Teachers Colleges, 1929.
93
The book does not attempt to exhaust the
subject, but rather aids to stimulate toward
originality and initiative, thus retaining an
element of freedom and of play in the perform-
ance of difficult stunts. 1
This text received recognition outside the State of
Wisconsin as well
as within the State. Daniel Chase, of the State
Department of Educa-
tion, Albany, New York, recommended this text:
There is a strong appeal for this form of activity
and unfortunately too many of our physical direc-
tors and leaders of physical activity are not well
enough acquainted with the fundamentals. Your
book provides a real training in the fundamental
procedures and should be welcomed by all members
of our profession. 2
Dr. Ernest Gershon was so impressed by the text,
Exercises
on the Apparatus, that he was determined to come to La
Crosse to study
gymnastics under these men.3 Dr. Gershon not only became
Hans
Reuter's pupil, but he remained at La Crosse as
Professor Reuter's
office partner. Ten years after retirement, Hans Reuter
and Ernest
Gershon published, A Primer of Apparatus Gymnastics.
This book is
designed as a self-testing manual. It permits the
learner to teach and
4
test himself in apparatus gymnastics.
1Walter J. Wittich and H. C. Reuter, Exercises on the
Ap-
paratus, New York: A. S. Barner and Company, 1925, IV.
Culver, op. cit., p. 128.
3
Gershon, o. cit., tape.
Hans C. Reuter and Ernest J. Gershon, A Primer of
Apparatus;
Dubuque, Iowa: William C. Brown Book Company, 1966.
94
Although most of his manuscripts are unpublished, he did
publish "Climbing Exercises on Apparatus" and "Two
Original Clogs"
for the Journal of the American Association for Health,
Physical Educa-
tion and Recreation. Most of these unpublished
manuscripts could be
classified as definitive writings. Through his articles
and speeches
he was continually responding to current literature and
current trends
in the field of physical education. "He never stopped
learning, and
he wasn't fooled by fads or any gilded approach."1
Hans Reuter took the same stand in his writings on
"demo-
cratic education" as his friend, Dr. Charles McCloy of
Iowa in that
the word democratic as used in education is often times
confusing.
McCloy's letter to Hans Reuter, dated June 22, 1955
states:
I ran across a phrase the other day relative to
another phase of "education" in some of the
teachers colleges that I think you may appreciate.
The individual was discussing--in a not very flat-
tering way--the so-called "democratic education."
He made the statement that "people should remember
that this needs not only to be democratic, but it
must also be "education." I think that a good many
of the writers, as you and I would have no trouble
identifying, are being much more interested in being
democratic (which to them frequently means sub-
mediocre). It is good to know that there are still
some of us around who believe in doing a thorough
job.2
Professor Emeritus Reuter did not stop writing after his
re-
tirement. In 1965, he translated from German "A Report
on the Conven-
tion of the National Education Association in 189 2." He
did this to
Mr. Robert Synovitz, response to questionnaire.
2Letter from C. H. McCloy. June 22, 1955.
95
point out and to preserve for history the position of
the German Turners
towards public education.
D. Inventions
Hans Reuter was a philosopher with a practical mind. He
was
always looking for ways to implement his philosophy. He
tried to
impress upon his student teachers that a good physical
education pro-
gram need not necessarily be scrapped because they
lacked commer-
cially sold equipment. They could build and improvise.
One of the early teaching aids that Mr. Reuter invented
was
the Pendulum Timer. One day as he passed the towel-room,
he noticed
that the padlock on the door was swinging to and fro.
There was no
one around, but apparently someone had just snapped the
lock and
left. The continual swinging forth and back intrigued
him, and he
watched it for some time. This gave him the idea of
using this principle
of the pendulum swinging, for some sort of timing
device. Since the
time in the swing of the pendulum depends entirely on
its length, he
experimented until he found that by using a two ounce
lead sinker at
the end of a chain about nine and one half inches long,
it took just
one second of time for the pendulum to swing over and
back. This
timer was used in place of a stop watch. (See Figure 8.)
The percussion starter, a simple arrangement constructed
of
two blocks of wood hinged together, could be used
instead of a gun.
The pendulum timer and the percussion starter are still
in use in the
public school systems throughout the state.
1Composite of Questionnaires.
96
FIGURE 8
INVENTIONS - BOW SEAT, TIMER AND MANIKIN
U' !
I r~f .
.I 8
v
ar cz-.,,.
97
<.
si-i
v . ,
98
To demonstrate the proper lifting techniques and to
demon-
strate the law of opposition in walking, Professor
Reuter constructed
jointed manikins. He used these models in his teaching
to demon-
state movement.
The Lazyman's Marker was a simple innovation, consisting
of
a chalk on the end of a stick. It enabled the teacher to
swing an
accurate concentric circle without stooping over. With
this marker,
one could do an efficient job in marking the floor or
hard surfaced play-
ground for various games and contests.
In connection with archery, Hans Reuter invented "The
H.C.R.
Type A Target Stand," "The Reuter Appear-Disappear
Target Base," and
the "Quiver Seat." The "A" type target stand was a
portable stand
constructed in an "A" frame, and it was used to hold the
target. It
was sturdy, economical, and simple to put up and take
down. The
Appear-Disappear target was so arranged that the target,
in the form
of a cut-out deer silhouette, was mounted on a stand so
that the edge
of the target presented itself to the viewer. When
placed in this posi-
tion, with woods and shrubbery background, it was hardly
discernable
to the archer. Upon pulling the attached rope, the
target would swivel
on its base to present a full broadside view for
shooting. The Quiver
Seat was designed to hold six arrows, and on to this was
pegged a
folding seat. The whole device was attached to a
web-strap belt which
the wearer put around his waist. The hunter could sit on
this seat in
the woods while he watched for his games. This invention
received
recognition in the National Bow Hunter Magazine.
lLa Crosse Sunday Tribune, October 9, 1955, p. 25.
99
Hans Reuter received a patent on May 13, 1933 for his
com-
bination "Folding Platform and Blackboard" to be used in
the gym.
This was made so that it could be moved about easily on
rollers and
still be solid when used as a platform. To use as a
blackboard, you
tipped up one side so that the blackboard underneath
became exposed.
This blackboard could be adjusted to various heights.
The idea behind
his invention was to figure out some means of enabling
the instructor
to demonstrate an activity so that those in the rear of
the class could
see what was going on.
Some of his other inventions were the "Mailbox Monitor,"
"Bird House and Feeder Combination" and "Garage Door
Opener." For
devising one or more meritorious inventions, or by
rendering other
valuable service in behalf of inventive progress, Mr.
Reuter was
admitted as "A Lite" member of the Chartered Institute
of American
1. Free for All Volkstumen Davenport Turngemeinde 1906.
2. Free for All Volkstumen Davenport Tumgemeinde 1909.
3. Oak Leaf Wreath Pentathlon National Turnfest
Cincinnti, Ohio,
1909.
4. Ribbon attached to wreath (3) 1909.
5. Ribbon attached to wreath first place in High Jump
National
Tumfest Cincinnati, Ohio 1909.
6. Free for All Volkstumen Davenport Turngemeinde 1905.
7. Volks and Geraethturnen III Stufe Davenport
Tumgemeinde 1908.
8. Free for All Volkstumen Davenport Tumgemeinde 1908.
9. Free for All Volkstumen Davenport Tumgemeinde 1907.
10. Volks and Geraethturnen II Stufe Davenport
Tumgemeinde 1907.
11. Free for All Volksturnen East Davenport Turverein
1906.
12. First place of Davenport Turngemeinde at Eldridge,
Iowa 1906.
13. Second place High Jump City Championship,
Indianapolis, Ind.
1911.
14. First place of Davenport Turngemeinde Volkstumen
East Davenport
Tumverein 1909.
15 First place of Davenport Tumgemeinde Volkstunen
Eldridge
Tumverein 1909.
16. First place of Davenport Turngemeinde Volksturnen
Northwest
Davenport Tumverein 1906.
17. First place Davenport Tumgemeinde Eldridge, Iowa
1908.
This collection of medals represents various awards
given by the
several local branches of the American Turners in and
around Davenport,
120
Iowa. The Wreath, and the Ribbons originally attached to
the wreaths
are from the National Turfest at Cincinnati, Ohio.
District, Circuit,
and National Festivals did not award medals, only
wreaths and
diplomas.
It may be noticed that some medals are engraved
"Volkstumen"
while others are for "Volks und Geraethtumen."
Volksturnen indicates
Track and Field events including hand over hand
climbing. Geraethtur-
nen indicates Apparatus Gymnastics. It may be further
noted that
there are some medals in each category and some in the
combination
of both.
Volkstumen usually consisted of a group of four or five
events
from the following: High Jump--Running Broad Jump--Pole
Vault--
Hop, Step and Jump--100 yd. Dash--Shot Put--Javelin
Throw--IHand
Over Hand Climbing. Each competitor participated in all
four or five
events which were selected for the particular meet. Each
performance
was rated on a point scale. The individual having the
highest total
points was the winner. The Awards were all for the men's
division.
In some instances diplomas accompanied the medals.
m; *tin
? - UEAS;: ark .iftSS :? id :
.7---
I A
11 ,
WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION
FOR
HEALTH PHYSICAL EDUCATION - RECREATION
THIS CERTIFIES THAT HAaTS d .IoU' ____
HAS BEEN SELECTED AS A RECIPIENT FOR AN HONOR AWARD BY
THE WISCONSI ASSOCIATION FOR
HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND RECREATION. SPECIFICALLY,
THE CITATION IS MADE FOR:
'& codb t-i- tom to thwot ot s ptofliubpatvcalxn
+ hgtht Ux rni ttuQiD9, ~tong,i ,i ttnw ^ -iT
DATE // - S- S t _
NN. AWARDSTTEE
PRESIDENT /
SECRETARY
nlia (T. Reuter
EMERITUS MEMBER
American Association for Health, Physical Education, and
Recreation
A DEPAITMENT Of THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATI
HIS CERTIFICATE 1S
PRESENTED IN RCCOQ-
NITION OF l 51 EAR
Or LOYAL MEMULERHIP
IN THE AMERICAN A*SO-
CIATION FO HEALTH,
PHYSICAL EDUCATION,
ANUO II JATION, AND
IN APPRECIATION OF
SIncx UWFO3 OUR-
IN# THAT TIME IN seK
HALF OF THE PNOWAMS
AND IOcALS O THE
ASSOCIATION. HOLDER
OF THIt C1nTIFICATC
IN THE ASSOCIATION.
Mvifi. AAPWLr
2x.cul .A.t^r^
m^^ 29. 1963
DATE
r[
C')
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?artmi iJnetttutt ofAmr 3Nnnttnar, tsuaBitngton. l .I
,one " mmw IffsomewiOWu O. 4 ,ee 1dOW nW aZuadtk AMeWm;
Z
Aa«^efq i Mvwen4c e oai* anetdw leen' admuedi&a____5 a
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3n tPitsntn tug wtrrf ,. ~ Ow
iAe eal ye^ ae &d gVda4 a -G Wi l
_^^^B~r Ha~ny~w, §@*^. -sixth<<
-LII PIIPII_- I I li_· -.-
125
APPENDIX B - REPORT CARD
Appendix
B-1 Hans Reuter's Report Card, 1900 (in German)
B-2 Translation of Report Card
N)
-tn-iQ: : i::: · ·- l-F5 Il Iz XI I
r-·
128
FRONT
Vitality (full of vigor) Free
Davenport Gymnastics Brotherhood
Report for Hans etc.
To the Parents
A report in order to be of value must be signed at
regular
intervals and returned as soon as possible. Please try
to keep it (the
report card) clean. In order to achieve the desired
success, it is
necessary that the parents work hand in hand with the
school.
An obliging look at the reverse side might help to
achieve this
(parent-school cooperation).
The Board of Directors
Strong Loyal
INSIDE
Columns across - Gymnastics / Diligence / Ambition /
Absent /
Tardy / Day report given out / Day report
returned / Signature of parents
At bottom - Clarification: The grade is limited to
application,
and skill in gymnastics. It will be given at
regular intervals and punctually. The grades
--very good, good, average and poor will
be received.
BACK
Notice
1. Gymnastics should and may not be childish amusement
(frivolity) - therefore no children can be taken on a
trial basis.
A term lasts three months and costs 75 cents dues for
the first
and second child for the term. The 3rd and 4th child pay
only
30 cents for the term. All remaining children are free
(pay no
dues). Members of the gymnastics brotherhood need pay
for
only one child. Gymnastics pupils are entitled to take
part
in instruction at no extra fee.
129
2. Before the enrollment can be completed the child must
have a
pair of leather gymnastic shoes (no rubber shoes or
soles), a
gymnastic suit, knee stockings, and shirt or blouse of
light
grey flannel; the girls as soon as possible after
registration
with gymnastics dress (divided skirt and blouse).
3. For the sake of propriety absences, tardiness or
skipping school
will be reported in writing.
4. It is urgently requested not to release the children
from the
house too early because the gymnastics area is not
opened
earlier than 1/2 hr. before the appointed time.
5. Purely out of interest for cleanliness gymnastic
shoes should
not be worn en route. There is also danger of colds in
so
doing.
6. Disorder - (Untidiness) outside leads to untidiness
insider
therefore one should give attention to the cleanliness
of the
person as well as to his clothes.
7. Possible complaints or grievances must be made in
person or
in writing first with the gymnastics teacher - otherwise
they
can be granted no attention.
8. Visits by parents are of great interest for them as
well as for
the children. They are therefore sincerely invited to
honor us
very often.
Respectfully,
The Board of Directors
130
APPENDIX C - LETTER OF ADVICE FROM HANS' FATHER
Ill
%^ /I-k
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UU!Ojotia 61-i
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i - (
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tt.6 . ~/Ck" #
fi --
,v U. j^^^^
,V
lJ
of l;S
I?.-
Ic ^ l, 4,A.
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<S-A'*cvo -, 0'
f~~-LR > cy^^
tiV~' Cj i·
On- - j
-s-<i. -^ vC1/
I ZrXL r
Health and Safety Education
Teacher, Godfrey, Ill.
Executive Director of YMCA
Eau Claire
Prof., Phy. Ed., UW-M
Director of Health, Phy. Ed.,
and Athletics, Kenosha
Ass't. Principal, and Phy.
Ed. Teacher, Appleton
Prof., Wis. State Univ.
River Falls
President, Orange County
Community College,
Middletown, New York
Phy. Ed. Consultant, Racine
Phy. Ed. Teacher, Northern Ill.
Univ., De Kalb, Ill.
Supt. of Schools, Superior
State Supervisor, Guidance
Services, Madison
Math Teacher, LaCrosse
Ass't. Prof., Dept. of Health,
Phy. Ed., and Rec., Univ. of
Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
135
1946
1946
1929
1925
1948
1933
1948
1927
1940
1925
1945
1941
1944
1944
1948
1946
1946
1945
136
Smith, Clyde
Synovitz, Robert
Vanderpan, Lester
Wangerin, Chester
Winiarski, Ed
Chairman of 7ealth, Phy. Ed.
and Rec., Director of Athletics
Arizona State Univ., Tempe,
Arizona
Prof., Western Illinois Univ.,
Macomb, Ill.
High School Principal,
Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
Retired Teacher, Whitefish
Bay
Ass't. Principal, Athletic
Director, Fort Atkinson
Questionnaires from Faculty Associates at La Crosse
College
Cartwright, Edith Dean of Women, Wis. State
Univ.
Rodgers, Elizabeth Retired Physical Education
Teacher, Wis. State Univ.
Rovang, Theodore Retired Biology Teacher
Wis. State Univ.
Walters, E. L. Retired Secondary Ed.
Instructor
1938
1949
1925
1921
1954
1925
1934
1927
1920
137
APPENDIX E - QUESTIONNAIRE FORM ON CONTRIBUTIONS OF
HANS REUTER
138
WISCONSIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
I am working on a biographical study of Hans Reuter for
my doctoral
dissertation at The Ohio State University. Since you are
acquainted with
him, I would like to ask some questions which will aid
me in the com-
pletion of my study.
Feel free to make any other suggestions or comments that
might occur
to you. I shall be grateful for any help that you might
give me. I need
your viewpoint to help me see all phases of Hans Reuter
as a teacher
and a man. A self-addressed envelope is enclosed for
your convenience.
Sincerely yours,
Vera Williams
Aibee Hall
Name
Date
Address
Occupation
1. During what years did you attend La Crosse? to
2. What was Hans Reuter's relationship to you?
( ) a. Colleague
( ) b. Teacher
( ) c. Coach
( ) d. Turner
( ) e. Hobbiest
( ) f. Fraternity Advisor
( ) g. Others
3. Che ck
( )a.
( )b.
( )c.
( )d.
( )e.
( )f.
( )g.
the classes you had that were taught by Mr. Reuter.
Apparatus ( ) h. History of Physical
Archery Education
Critic for student teaching ( ) i. Locomotor Rhythms
Free Exercise ( ) j. Organization and
Folk Dancing Administration
Gymnastic Dancing ( ) k. Speedball and Soccer
Games of Low organization ( ) 1. Track and Field
( ) m. Wrestling
_ I
__
C __
_ __ ___ ___ _ _ __ _ _ _
139
4. Check the intercollegiate activity that you performed
under his
coaching.
( ) a. Gymnastics
( ) b. Soccer-Speedball
( ) c. Track and Field
( ) d. Sports
( ) e. Others
5. What were his outstanding traits as a teacher?
6. What was his relationship with his students ?
7. Was he a different man when coaching in contrast to
teaching?
8. Comment on his coaching in relationship to:
a. Traits of leadership
b. Quality of leadership
c. Success
d. Lasting impact on you
9. Can you relate any incidents that happened in your
class which
would show Hans Reuter's personality or philosophy?
140
10. Did you use his elementary course outline in your
teaching?
If so, how did it help you?
11. Which of his inventions did you use in his teaching?
( ) a. Archery Stand
( ) b. Pendulum Timer
( ) c. Percussion Starter
( ) d. Lazyman's Marker
( ) e. Others
12. Do you agree with his teaching methods?
13. What do you recall about his classes?
14. What do you consider Hans Reuter's contribution to
physical
education has been?
a. At La Crosse State University
b. In the State of Wisconsin
c. In the Midwest
d. At the National Level
141
15. In your opinion, is he a man who changed with the
times ?
Why or why not?
16. Do you have any objections to being directly quoted?
Additional comments.
142
APPENDIX F - DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM 1928
ANNUAL
Physical Education Demonstration
Our Health Code
He whose blood is red, whose muscles are hard, whose
sleep is sound, whose digestion is good, whose posture
is erect,
whose nerves are steady, has a good bank account in
life. He
possesses that which contributes to happiness, to
accompllh-
ment, to service, to society, to state, and to country.
-Calvin P. Kendall.
GIVEN BY
School of Physical Education
La Crosse State Teachers College
NEW GYMNASIUM
Tuesday, June 5, 1928
at 8:00 P. M.
CAO
A:~,
Go
PROGRAM
1. Grantl Matc h,, , All Clm,*
It DevoyopeutOal Eicc¢, omt App4atue.-Spholow l Women
II. Couniat Dan ci .. ..u.,4A, _ ,,Phua mstt Woo en
o. Pop Govs ti6, WeooI (Amncau)
b. Gaetoind PNs, Cod, (E,,ltl)
c. Come Lot U3 be Jaoful (Gamon)
IV. Turihufi and Stuntt ---,-,,,-,,,,,,,,t-, , .Soutoe
Men
V. Atieauc Revievw ^ ., Seir Wooten
VI. CGjuwusic and Clod Dancl,6S ,.,, ..-. ,,Soplomoeow
Yl!. IG m nes ,,,, ,,,,,,,, ,,, hmen MEl
1t Ftrst Aid Demonstration ....i.. ....... . Sopir mot
X. PIH?.Be.!Hl (Gits vs. M!^vib) . ..P..i s , u Womn
Xl Group Apparatus and Pgnamitd BuIMddi . ,., ,, ,,,
-. ., 9 <-,-, _ ,„ ,, ,W.Sentof Men ad Gjia Toim*
XIL Daulu$
1. Cle Woar
2. a. Tfhs 1Polic
h. BUt
c. JeWd S Ja^,o#k (Whes, JoAmij Lfet fo Wao)
d. Kukkacl (Thl Cucoo)
e. Stecek (The Haundkes hieO)
f. RoeIk
& Wood Spytes
h. Irgth Wrske Womaa
i. nlih Lilt
Te Girl I Left Beloivd Me
k Autumn
I,-
ts·
145
APPENDIX G - NEWSPAPER ARTICIE, BLACKHAWK ARCHERY CLUB
146
Reuter was not only a tournament shooter but also
hunted many years with a bow. He says he hunted
the first year that Wisconsin held an archery sea-
son for deer. With the limitations of the equip-
ment at this time, it took him a few years to a-
chieve the extraordinary feat of bagging a deer
with an arrow. On November 8, 1947, Hans shot his
first deer with a bow and arrow that he had made.
Hans did not end archery with the close of hunting
season each year. He taught archery to interested
persons at Longfellow, Logan and Vocational School.
Bows in 1930's and 40's weren't as sophisticated
as they are today, and few companies manufactured
them. Hans, as did most of the archers at this
time, made his own bows and arrows. According to
Hans, osage orange and lemon wood were the most
popular types of wood used because of their flex-
ibility.
A bow was made out of two pieces of osage orange
which were used as nothing more than fence posts
in some parts of the country. The two halves were
hewn out of billets, carefully following the grain,
and then were spliced together at the handle.
Arrow shafts were two pieces of port orford cedar
spliced together for strength. These shafts were
usually purchased and then the archer could paint
them and put on points, nocks and feathers.
Eventually it was discovered that yew wood was
superior to osage orange and lemon wood. This
yew wood could be steamed and the ends bent to
form a recurve bow. This became the elite in
bows for quite a while. They did have a bad side
though. They had to be kept in the shade because
of their loss of cast with the absorption of heat.
Hans has many samples of his experiments with more
modern techniques such as wood laminations, raw-
hide backing and cloth backing. He also made his
own strings, first of linen thread and then advanced
to a fortisen type material.1
LaCrosse Tribune, "Blackhawk Archery Club Had Its Be-
ginning in 1939", 1966.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. Primary Sources
A. Unprinted
1. Hans Reuter's papers at La Crosse State University.
These papers include correspondence, unpublished
articles,
clippings, and other miscellaneous items related to Mr.
Reuter's contributions as a physical educator.
2. Collected Documents
Brochure of Sinton Park Grand Field Day and Playground
Demonstration, September 3, 1910, under Direction of
Playground Director, Mr. Hans Reuter. Cincinnati, Ohio.
Brochure of "Schautumen Gymnastic Exhibition Des
Sozialen
Tumvereins" unter der Leitung von Hans C. Reuter, Das
Deutsche Haus, Freitag, den 27. Mar 3, 1914. Indian-
apolis, Indiana.
Brochure of "Exhibition of Physical Training," Director,
H.C.
Reuter, (With the cooperation of the Normal College of
the North American Gymnastic Union, under the direction
of Emil Rath). Indianapolis, Indiana, February 5th,
1917.
Certificate of Birth, Davenport, Iowa, December 20,
1885.
Certificate, Elementary Certificate Normal College of
the
American Gymnastic Union, Indianapolis, Indiana,
June 15, 1911.
Certificate for First Place in Apparatus, Track and
Field,
Davenport Tumgemeinde, Davenport, Iowa, August 26,
1900. (4th Boys Class)
Certificate for First Place, 3rd Boy's Class, Apparatus,
Track
and Field, Davenport Tumgemeinde, Davenport, Iowa,
August 28, 1898.
147
148
Certificate for First Place, Combination Apparatus,
Track and
Track Work, Davenport Turngemeinde, Davenport, Iowa,
August 26, 1906.
Certificate of William Reuters Professional Training at
The
American Gymnastic Union Normal, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
April 7, 1878.
Certificate issued by the Chartered Institute of
American
Inventors, May 6, 1936. Washington, D.C.
Certificate of Award, First Place Pentathlon, National
Gymnastic Meet, Cincinnati, Ohio, June 23-27, 1909.
Certificate Award of Merit from The Wisconsin
Association
of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, March 31,
1958 for service as President.
Certificate of Citation from the Wisconsin Association
of
Health, Physical Education, Recreation, for Hans
Reuter's
contributions to the work of his professional field par-
ticularly through the areas of teaching, coaching,
writing,
inventions, teacher training, and curriculum planning.
November 5, 1953.
Certificate of an Emeritus Member of The American
Association
for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, for 51
years membership, March 29, 1963.
Certificate of Life Membership in The Wisconsin
Association
for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, May 16,
1957.
Certificate of Membership of the Alpha Chapter of the
Phi
Epsilon Kappa Fraternity, August 1, 1924.
Certificate of Twenty-Five Year Membership Award in the
Phi
Epsilon Kappa Fraternity, April 12, 1956.
Certificate of Membership in the Alpha Phi Omega,
National
Service Fraternity, Kappa Gamma Chapter, May, 1952.
Certificate of completion of The Rounsevelle Archery
Methods
Course, July 1, 1934.
Patent for invention of folding platforms and
blackboards,
May 13, 1933.
Report Card of Hans Reuter given to him by his father,
William
Reuter, Davenport, Iowa, 1900.
149
3. Correspondence
a. Letters to the author from the following people:
Dr. Alf Harrer, December 10, 1969. Editor of the Wis-
consin Association for Health, Physical Education
and Recreation Newsletter, Beloit, Wisconsin
Dr. Robert Francis, March 12, 1969. President of The
Wisconsin Association of Health, Physical Education
and Recreation in 1953 when Mr. Reuter received a
citation from this organization. Now at Auburn
University, Auburn, Alabama.
Mr. Gordon Jensen, February 11, 1969. State Supervisor
of Physical Education, Madison, Wisconsin.
Mr. Rudolf Kvelve, April 2, 1969. Long time member of
the La Crosse Sketch Club. La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Mr. Harold Kaiser, April 2, 1969. Superintendent of
Schools, Davenport, Iowa.
Miss Emma Lou Wilder, January 1, 1969. Chairman of the
Women's Physical Education Department at La Crosse
for thirty five years. Worked closely with Mr. Reuter
as co-worker and personal friend. Retired and living
in Uray, Colorado.
b. Other letters made available to the author by
courtesy
of the Reuter family.
Numerous letters sent to Mr. Hans Reuter upon his
Retire-
ment in 1956.
Dr. Charles McCloy, June 22, 1955. State University of
Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. A reply to Mr. Reuter's
letter to Dr. McCloy on an article he had written in
the Physical Educator. A remark relating to "demo-
cratic education."
Mr. William Reuter, June 18, 1910. Davenport, Iowa.
Translation from German by Hans Reuter of a letter
written to him by his father.
Eugene R. McPhee, May 1, 1957. A letter from the Board
of Regents notifying Mr. Reuter of the State Resolu-
tion 1304 naming Reuter Dormitory in his honor.
150
Writings of Hans C. Reuter
4. Unpublished Manuscripts
An Outline of the Activity Program in Physical Education
for the Elementary Grades of the La Crosse Public
Schools
Body Building Activities With Apparatus
Creating Interest
Developmental Activities in Physical Education
Exhibition Drills
Exhibition Drills With Reeds
Forward-March. Keep in Step
H. C. Reuter an Autobiography, April 1962, 1966
Leisure
Leisure Time Activities For Our Children
Main Aim of Physical Education-Health
Marching Drills
Numerous Free Exercise Drills and Gymnastic Dancing
Drills
Objectives of Physical Education
Physical Education and Health
Physical Education and Inter-Scholastic Athletics
Physical Education As An Occupation
Physical Training For Men in Normal Schools
Report on Tests
The Handicaps of The Twentieth Century Child
The Importance of Play and Developmental Activities in
Education
151
What About A Bit of Body Building
Wrestling Outline
5. Unpublished Reports of Hans Reuter
A Report on the National Convention of the National
Education Association in 1892. (A translation from
German, December, 1965.)
For What It's Worth
Physical Education A Necessity (August 21, 1933).
The Resurrection of Apparatus
History of Physical Education of The American Turners
(Early 1930's).
6. Oral Interviews
Personal interviews with people who knew Mr. Reuter
(date first associated with him) and relationship.
a. Taped interviews with Faculty Associates of Hans
Reuter at La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Dr. Beatrice Baird, January 10, 1969. Chairman of
Women's Department. (1946-1956)
Dr. Howard Fredrick's Interview with Hans Reuter. (Oct.
3, 1968.) Speech Department interview for Oral
History of La Crosse.
Dr. Ernest Gershon, May 22, 1969. Chairman of Graduate
Studies. Student, co-worker, office mate, and
personal friend of Mr. Reuter. (1933-56)
Floyd Gautsch, March 24, 1969. Athletic Director, stud-
ent and worked with Mr. Reuter on Athletic Committee.
(1931-56)
Leon Miller, January 9, 1969. Retired. Long time
associate
of Mr. Reuter. (1926-56)
Dr. Glen Smith, March 24, 1969. Dean of the School of
Health, Physical Education and Recreation at
La Crosse. (1954-56)
152
William Otto, March 24, 1969. Student and co-worker.
(1951-56)
Ann Thomas, January 10, 1969. Associate Director of The
School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
Student, co-worker, and long time associate.
(1931-56)
b. Professional Physical Education Associates - State
Level Former Students
Martin Anderson, March 3, 1969. Physical Education
teacher, Oshkosh Public Schools, Oshkosh, Wis-
consin. (1936)
James Bruins, March 3, 1969. Physical Education Teacher,
Oshkosh Public Schools, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (1934)
Ole Jorgensen, January 15, 1969. Director of Athletics.
Neenah Public Schools, Neenah, Wisconsin. (1922)
Lloyd Meiners, February 25, 1969. Chairman of Physical
Education, Sheboygan High School, Sheboygan,
Wisconsin. (1934)
Ben Mixal, January 15, 1969. Physical Education Teacher,
Neenah Public Schools, Neenah, Wisconsin. (1952)
John Nevers, January 12, 1969. Supervisor of Health,
Physical Education and Recreation, Oshkosh Public
Schools, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (1938)
William Pickett, January 17, 1969. Supervisor of Health,
Physical Education and Recreation, Appleton Public
Schools, Appleton, Wisconsin. (1924)
Marie Potterton, January 17, 1969. Reading Consultant
Winneconne Public Schools, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
(1948)
Kenneth Potterton, January 17, 1969. Physical Education
teacher, Oshkosh Public Schools, Oshkosh, Wis-
consin. (1948)
Henry Rilling, February 25, 1969. Chairman of Physical
Education, North High School, Sheboygan, Wiscon-
sin. (1939)
153
Gretchen Siebert, April 10, 1969. Retired Physical
Educa-
tion Teacher, Oshkosh Public Schools, Oshkosh,
Wisconsin. (1925)
Betty Warner, January 17, 1969. Elementary Specialist of
Physical Education, Appleton Public Schools, Apple-
ton, Wisconsin. (1950)
Lester Wilke, February 25, 1969. Supervisor of Health,
Physical Education and Recreation, Sheboygan Public
Schools, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. (1930)
c. Faculty Associates of Hans Reuter not in Physical
Education. Interviews were all at La Crosse, Wis-
consin.
Maurice Graff, March 8, 1969. Dean of Instruction.
(1941-56)
Rexford Mitchell, January 11, 1969. President Emeritus,
Wisconsin State University. (1939-56)
Elizabeth Pollack, March 8, 1969. Secretary to the
Registrar. (1936)
Anna Wentz, March 8, 1969. Retired Anatomy Instructor
of Wisconsin State University. Came the same year
as Mr. Reuter. (1920-56)
d. Family
Anna, Gretchen, Fritz Reuter, and Helen Otto (Reuter),
December 30, 1968. Davenport, Iowa. Brother and
sisters of Hans Reuter.
Mrs. Ellen Reuter Ash, January 10, 1969, La Crosse,
Wisconsin. Daughter.
Marianna Reuter Moe, March 23, 1969. Black River
Falls, Wisconsin. Daughter.
II. Secondary Sources
A. Periodicals
1. Articles
154
Bennett, Bruce L. "The Making of The Round Hill School."
Quest, Monography Iv, (April, 1965), pp. 53-63.
Davenport Turn-Gemeinde-Seventy-Fifth Anniversar
1852-1927. (November twelfth and thirteenth - 1927).
p. 26.
Lee, Mabel, and Bruce L. Bennett. "This Is Our
Heritage."
American Journal of Health, Physical Education and
Recreation. Vol. XXXI (April, 1960), pp. 25-85.
The One Hundredth Anniversary of the Central Turners of
the Central Turners of Davenport, Iowa. 1852-1952.
p. 26.
90 Years of Service The Milwaukee Turners 1943, Mil-
waukee: Milwaukee Turner, p. 29.
McCurdy, James. "A Constructive Program in Physical
Education," NEA Journal, 1919, p. 201.
Metzner, Henry. "A Brief History of The North American
Gymnastic Union," Mind and Body, Vol. XX,
(March 1913-February 1914), pp. 94-101.
North American Gymnastic Union. "Reports of the Special
Committee on Observation," Twenty-Sixth National
Festival. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, (July 21st to 25th,
1893), p. 48.
Nohr, Robert Jr. and H. C. Reuter. "Free Exercises,"
"Free Exercise Drill," "Wand Drill." (No publisher
or publication date).
Wangerin, C.A. The Wisconsin Physical Education Society
Vol. IV, (May, 1934), p. 9.
2. Newspapers
Numerous articles. Not a complete list.
The Davenport Democrat and Leader. March 18, 1931,
June 29, 1909.
The Racquet (School Newspaper). February 12, 1918,
February 9, 1940, May 29, 1947, March 23, 1956.
155
The La Crosse Tribune. July 29, 1910, September 2, 1951,
Oct. 10, 1966, September 18, 1963.
St. Paul Sunday Pioneer Press, March 3, 1968.
B. Books
Brosius, George. Fifty Years Devoted to The Cause of
Physical Culture, 1864-1914, Milwaukee: Germaina
Publishing Company, 1914.
Downer, Harry E. The History of Davenport and Scott
County, Iowa. Vol. I. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Company, 1910.
Leonard, Fred E., and Afflectk, George B. A Guide to the
History of Physical Education. Philadelphia: Lea &
Febiger, 1947.
Reuter, Hans C. and Gershon, Ernest J. A Primer of
Apparatus. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Book
Company, 1966.
Rice, Emmett A. A Brief History of Physical Education.
New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1929.
Rinsch, Emil. The History of The Normal College of The
American Gymnastic Union of Indiana University
1866-1966. Indianapolis: B & L Composition &
Printing, 1966.
Schwendener, Norma. A History of Physical Education in
the United States. New York: A. S. Barnes and Com-
pany, 1942.
Van Dalen, Depbold B., Mitchell, Elmer D., and Bennett,
Bruce L. A World History of Physical Education, 1953.
Wittich, Walter J., and Hans C. Reuter. Exercises on the
Apparatus Tumbling and Stunts. New York: A. S. Barnes
and Company, 1925.
Gilkey, George R. "La Crosse, A Half-Century of Higher
Education in Wisconsin Coulee Region," (1900-1966).
History of the Wisconsin State Universities. Edited
by Walker D. Wymann, River Falls, Wisconsin: 1968.
156
C. Miscellaneous
1. College and University Catalogs
Bulletin of State Normal School La Crosse, published by
Board
of Regents of Normal School Faculty Committees. Volume
VIII, June, 1917 to Volume XIV No. 3, July, 1923.
La Crosse State Normal School. Bulletin of the State
Normal
School. La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1910, 1923, 1925, 1926.
La Crosse State Normal School. Bulletin of the School of
Physical Education. 1914-1920.
La Crosse State Teachers College. Bulletins 1926-28,
1937-1938.
La Crosse State Teachers College. Bulletin of the
Department
of Physical Education. 1928-1932, 1955-
The Health Physical Education and Recreation News, W. J.
Wittich Editor. Published variously from April, 1946 to
March, 1953.
Wisconsin State College, La Crosse, Annual Catalog 1952
to 1958.
2. Year Books
The La Crosse, (La Crosse State Teachers College). 1931-
1954.
The Racquet, (La Crosse State Normal School). 1917-1930.
3. Reports
Curriculum Committee Minutes of the Division of Physical
Education of La Crosse State Teachers College, 1942-58.
Faculty Record for Members of Instructional Staff of
Wisconsin
State Colleges, 1929, 1937, 1946.
La Crosse Alumni Brief: Report of Hans Reuter's
Retirement.
Wisconsin State College Alumni Files, Fall, 1956.
Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the La Crosse Curling
Club,
1929-1953.
157
Minutes of the Faculty Meetings of the Division of
Physical
Education, La Crosse State College, 1949-1958.
Minutes of Faculty Meetings 1909-1962, Board of Regents
of
State Colleges, Wisconsin State University of La Crosse,
Series No. 56/5/3/1/1 Box No. 1. State Historical
Society, Archives.
Minutes of the Wisconsin Teachers College Athletic
Confer-
ence Faculty Representative Meeting, March, 1949,
March 1953, and September 14, 1956.
Wisconsin: Board of Regents of State Colleges, Biennial
Report of the Board of Regents of Normal Schools, 1904-
1952.
Resolution Adopted By American Turners in Convention,
Elk-
hart Lake, Wisconsin, June 27-30, 1940.
4. Thesis and Unpublished Materials
Bahr, Gordon Harry. "A Brief History of the Division of
Physical Education at Wisconsin State College, La Crosse
(1913-1953), Unpublished Master's thesis, Wisconsin
State College, La Crosse, 1958.
Culver, Anna Beth. "Walter J. Wittich: Physical Educator
1885-1953," Unpublished Master's thesis, Wisconsin
State University, La Crosse, 1967.
Foss, Jean L. "A History of Professional Preparation for
Women in the Teachers College of Wisconsin, Illinois,
and Iowa," Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, University
of Iowa, Iowa City, 1966.
Gilkey, George. "La Crosse and the World Wars," Unpub-
lished Manuscript, Wisconsin State University, La
Crosse.
Reuter, Hans C. "H. C. Reuter," Unpublished
Autobiography,
La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1966.
Reuter, William. "An Autobiography of William Reuter,"
Davenport, Iowa 1941.
Reuter, Hans C. "Transcription of a tape recording," For
the
National Archives of the American Association of Health,
Physical Education and Recreation, La Crosse, Wisconsin,
September, 1967.
