Anna Hiss
In 1918 Anna Hiss was just 25 years of age when she arrived at The University of Texas at Austin as the newly-hired instructor for Physical Training for Women. More than once, this Baltimore native was mistaken for a student yet, not long after arriving, she rose to the challenge of launching a women’s program to offer intramural leagues and sport clubs for the female population on campus. By 1921 she was appointed director of Women’s Physical Training and was instrumental in promoting sports for women on campus and beyond, having taken a leadership role in forming a statewide organization called the Texas Athletic Conference of College Women.
Professor Hiss’ career in recreational sports spanned 36 years during which she made it her mission to instill in young women the benefits of staying healthy and active, promoting “Sports for Sports Sake.” She championed the idea of emphasizing participation over skill every chance she could. When the need for a gym on campus became apparent, she rallied for a separate facility for women and sought out ideas for its design while vacationing in other parts of the country and making time to visit other physical education facilities. Many of her ideas were realized in the construction of the Women’s Gym which opened in April 1931. The gym would later be named in her honor.
The professor’s passion for physical fitness was well-known and inspired the legendary Posture Pageant as an intramural contest, as well as the annual “T” Night Banquet where sport club members and intramural champions were awarded prizes based on a participatory point system that she established. The legacy of Anna Hiss also includes the establishment of a bachelor’s degree in the School of Education to train physical education teachers. She also introduced the practice of sending physical education majors into public schools and parks as teaching assistants. Professor Hiss is also credited for helping establish the Orange Jackets, the Campus League of Women Voters, and Delta Kappa Gamma, an honor society for women teachers. Anna Hiss retired from the University in 1957 and was named professor emeritus in 1969.