In Tuxedos and Dresses - Exhibition Team

The history of gymnastics at Springfield College stretches nearly as far back as the school’s founding in 1885. Leslie Judd, widely considered a father of modern gymnastics, was the team’s first coach. Dr. James Naismith, the creator of basketball, was an early member of the team. Charles C. Spero served in the United States Army and was stationed in Paris, where he was trained as a newsreel and documentary photographer, covering the dedication of World War II American cemeteries in England, Italy, and France. Spero was most well-known for the photograph he took of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who called it the greatest photo taken of him out of uniform. The Exhibition Team has appeared before thousands of spectators in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In fact, in 1941 the team appeared before thirty-five-thousand spectators in twenty-five cities.

This black-and-white photograph shows the Springfield College gymnastics exhibition team. The men are wearing suits and lifting the women, who are wearing dresses. This was likely part of an Exhibition Show dance routine. The photograph was taken by Springfield College alumnus Charles C. Spero (class of 1959).