The Main Library Gallery’s fall 2024 exhibition, Hawkeye Histories | Sporting Stories, uses materials from the archives to offer a fresh perspective on Iowa athletics from the 1800s to the present.
The free exhibition opened to the public on Monday, Aug. 26, and was curated by Dr. Jennifer Sterling, lecturer in sport media and culture within the Department of American Studies and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Over the course of her first 10 years at the university, Sterling noticed that while its reputation for athletic excellence is widespread, the narratives that make Iowa truly remarkable can be lost under the roar of the crowd. And, as with so many aspects of popular culture, academics who study sports have often had to argue for their merit as a scholarly subject.
“Sport is so embedded in our institutional and individual cultures that we often don’t take a closer look,” says Sterling.
This exhibition aims to help visitors do just that. Hawkeye Histories | Sporting Stories refreshes visitors’ understanding of sports history by placing Iowa’s sporting milestones in their historic and cultural contexts. Each generation of Hawkeye student-athletes and coaches has moved the starting line forward for those who came after them. In many cases, that has meant breaking down barriers to social progress on and off the field, from the integration of sports teams to the increased attention paid to women’s sports.
The exhibition does display items and information connected to some of the university’s biggest names —players and coaches like Duke Slater, Nile Kinnick, Caitlin Clark, and Christine Grant — but it also amplifies the experiences and achievements of the Hawkeye athletes not every fan will know.
“The exhibit is meant to be contextual rather than myopic—to situate Iowa’s sports histories in relation to each other and broader issues, movements, and policies rather than narrating stand-alone stories,” says Sterling.
The narrative that emerges is one of Iowa athletes with record-breaking ability and the courage to lead by example—not only experiencing history’s impact, but shaping it, too.
The exhibition is free and open to the public and will conclude following the end of the semester on Thursday, Dec. 19.
AT A GLANCE
- Hawkeye Histories | Sporting Stories
- The Main Library Gallery is located near the north lobby entrance to the Main Library (125 W. Washington St.)
- Open seven days a week. For detailed hours and holiday information, visit our website.
- Exhibition runs from Aug. 26 to Dec. 19
- Curated by Dr. Jennifer Sterling, Department of American Studies and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Free and open to all
This is the Board in Control of Athletics Handbook for the University of Iowa, then known as the State University of Iowa, from 1915. As the popularity of collegiate athletics began to increase at the turn of the century, so did the number of regulations designed to standardize fair play.
Board in Control of Athletics Records [RG28.0003.005], University Archives.
Throughout her career, the record-breaking women’s softball coach Gayle Blevins racked up NCAA titles. These signed softballs commemorate wins throughout her career, which took her to the University of Iowa from 1988 to 2010.
University of Iowa Women’s Softball Records [IWA1046], Iowa Women’s Archives.
Data can also be a powerful storytelling tool. These maps show the geographic origins of Iowa men’s football players between 1950 and 2022.
Data compiled from the Iowa Letterwinners Club and University of Iowa Athletics, first seasons through 2022-2023. Research and data entry: Jennifer Sterling, Olivia Baier, Maria Copozzi, students from Spring 2024 SPST 1847 Hawkeye Nation class. Mapping and visualization: Digital Scholarship and Publishing Studio.