Loading AI tools
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Augustus May (July 8, 1872 – March 28, 1948) was an American gymnast, athletic trainer, and professor of physical education. A native of Philadelphia, he gained acclaim as a gymnast as a young man. He then worked for Yale University from 1896 to 1901 and for the University of Michigan from 1901 to 1942. He was a trainer and professor of physical education at Michigan.
George A. May | |
|---|---|
May from the 1948 Michiganensian | |
| Born | July 8, 1872 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | March 28, 1948 (aged 75) Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States |
| Years active | 1901–1942 |
| Known for | Athletic trainer and administrator |
May was born in Philadelphia in 1872. His parents, George and Sophia May, were both natives of Hanover, Germany.[1][2] His father was a baker.[1] As a young man, he gained note as a gymnast in Philadelphia.[3]
May moved to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1896 to become an instructor in gymnastics at Yale University and received an M.D. from the Yale Medical School in 1901.[4] He worked for five years as an instructor in gymnastics at Yale in 1896.[3]
In 1901, May was hired by the University of Michigan as an instructor and physical examiner at the Waterman Gymnasium.[5][6] In 1910, he was appointed as a professor of physical training and director of Waterman Gymnasium.[7][8] He was also the trainer of the undefeated 1918 Michigan Wolverines football team that has been recognized as a national championship team.[9] In 1922, he was promoted from the position of assistant professor to associate professor of physical education.[10] May continued to be employed by the University of Michigan for 41 years.[5] As of 1935, he still conducted a rigorous daily workout at age 64 and had reportedly not missed a day of work in 40 years.[3] He retired in 1942 after reaching the compulsory retirement age of 70 and was granted the title associate professor emeritus of physical education.[5][11] At the time of his retirement, he was still able to "swing expertly" on the parallel bars at the Waterman Gymnasium.[12]
May married Anna Marie Vaughan of Cleveland on New Year's Eve 1927.[4][13] She died in 1933.[4] They had no children.[12] He died March 28, 1948, in Michigan's University Hospital.[4][14] He left a trust fund valued at $124,000 to the University of Michigan for athletic scholarships under the name "The Dr. George A. May Scholarship Fund".[15]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
