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45-450: The current mission of the B.A.A. is "to promote a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running" for all people. The Boston Athletic Association, one of the nation's oldest athletic clubs, held its first official meeting on March 15, 1887, and was incorporated later that year on May 12. The club was founded through the collaborative efforts of an eclectic group of former Civil War officers such as its first president, Robert F. Clark ;

90-599: A gymnasium , tennis and racquet courts, and a running track. The basement mezzanine had bowling alleys and a barber shop. The club's basement contained Turkish steam baths and a 60,000-gallon "swimming tank" for aquatic sports. B.A.A. worked quickly to organize competitive sports for young men, establishing programs in ten sports before 1900: football, baseball, cricket, "fives," rowing, boxing , fencing , water polo , squash, and track and field . In 1890, it hosted 27 competitions and exhibitions, including fencing, swim meets, bicycle races, and cross-country runs, and chose

135-520: A city ordinance prevented BU from building a hall with a capacity of over 300 people in this type of building. It was instead remodeled and housed classrooms. The building continued to be the headquarters of the Boston Marathon for two decades and was torn down in 1959. After the organization's clubhouse closed, a small group of determined B.A.A. supporters, including George V. Brown , his eldest son Walter A. Brown , William F. Garcelon (president of

180-688: A stock broker in Boston. He was associated with the firm of Hayden, Stone & Co. and was treasurer of the Boston Stock Exchange . Clark was one of the original members of the Boston Athletic Association and was chosen to serve as the organization's first president. He did not seek a second term due to business obligations. On March 30, 1893, Clark was nominated for a seat on the Boston police commission by Governor William E. Russell . Clark had never sought political office before and

225-619: Is named the George V. Brown Memorial Award, in his honor. For the first 1924 Winter Olympics , Brown organized the U.S. Olympic Hockey team, with seven of the ten members coming from the BAA team. The team earned a silver medal. Because of his contributions to the emerging field of hockey, in 1961, Brown was inducted into the International Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada, as a Builder. He

270-466: The unicorn as its symbol. That year, B.A.A. also entered 80 athletes in track and field competitions; over fifty percent finished in the top three, with seventeen taking first place, nineteen in second place, and eight in third place. In 1896, a small B.A.A. team comprised most of the U.S. delegation who participated in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece . The Association's athletes excelled at

315-636: The American Amateur Hockey League championship in 1916 and 1917 and the United States Amateur Hockey Association championship in the 1923 season. In the late 1880s, the B.A.A. sold thirty-year bonds totaling $ 154,000 to finance the construction of its club building. When the bonds matured in 1918, during World War I, the repayment deadline was extended to 1932, which coincided with the Great Depression . Although

360-641: The Bankruptcy Act of 1898 . The B.A.A. lost nearly 1,000 of its 1,600 members during the Great Depression. After filing for bankruptcy, the Association closed its clubhouse on August 4, 1935, and sold its building's furnishings at auction later that year. The building was purchased by Boston University (BU). The school planned to turn the clubhouse, renamed the Soden Building, into a modern gymnasium, but

405-764: The Boston Police Commission and was the first president of the Boston Athletic Association . Clark was born in Boston to Benjamin Cutler and Mary Preston Clark. He attended Boston Public Schools and graduated from Boston Latin School in 1856. During his youth, Clark was a standout rower. In 1857 he was a member of the 6-man Volant crew that was the champion of the Charles River Association and beat

450-540: The United States Olympic Committee marked his death with a moment of silence . As general manager of the Boston Arena and Boston Garden, Brown promoted all manner of sporting events including college hockey, indoor track and field, amateur boxing, wrestling , water follies, and figure skating , featuring Olympic star Sonja Henie . In addition to his primary passions—ice hockey, track and field, and

495-517: The 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials Women's Marathon, which was run on the Sunday before the 112th Boston Marathon in 2008. In January 2016, the B.A.A. purchased an office building yards from the starting line of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Massachusetts , to serve the association for the runner registration and services for various B.A.A. events. In March 2023, Bank of America (BOA) took over sponsorship of

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540-516: The Amateur Athletic Union approved women marathoners, that the B.A.A. also changed its rules to allow women to compete officially. Eight women registered and completed the race, with Nina Kuscsik placing first in the inaugural women's field. In 1984, Marja Bakker became the first female member of the B.A.A.'s Board of Governors (BOG), while Joann Flaminio became the Association's first female president in 2011. Marathoner Adrienne R. Benton

585-399: The Association had established a reserve fund to cover the bond repayments, the organization's assets were depleted in the 1930s by the stock market crash , the subsequent Great Depression, and possible embezzlement by an employee. Unable to cover its financial obligations and grappling with a deficit, the B.A.A. defaulted on its bonds and filed a petition of reorganization under Section 77B of

630-477: The B.A.A. was a commercial enterprise of the Boston Garden, which hosted its annual indoor meet. For many years, the B.A.A. Games, not the Boston Marathon, was the Association's premier event. It attracted top athletes, including Cornelius Warmerdam , Wes Santee , and Ron Delany . However, as the years went on, attendance declined (dropping from 13,645 in 1960 to 9,008 in 1971) and overhead costs increased, making

675-510: The B.A.A.), and Clarence A. Barnes (president of a newly formed Unicorn Club), came to its aid. The B.A.A. Governing Board continued to meet in a suite of rooms at Boston's Hotel Lenox. In addition, a fraction of Association members had formed the Unicorn Club to continue the indoor games and the Boston Marathon. These two groups collaborated to save the diminished B.A.A. At a Unicorn Club meeting on January 3, 1936, Gracelon and Barnes presided as

720-646: The BAA track and field games, and for over twenty years, served as the BAA Director of Athletics. In 1910 Brown started and managed an ice hockey team, and formed a football team for the BAA. Brown also served on the BAA Governing Committee for 20 years, having transitioned from club employee to club member and leader. During Brown's youth, ice hockey was in its infancy in the United States. In 1911, Brown formed and managed an amateur ice hockey team for

765-546: The BAA , which played at the newly constructed Boston Arena. Over the next two decades, Brown organized hockey events held at the Arena, including Canadian-American games and collegiate competitions. When the Arena burnt down in 1918, Brown persuaded its owner, Henry G. Lapham , to rebuild. Brown was then named general manager and promoted hockey as its major draw. In 1934 Lapham purchased the rival Garden, and named Brown as its general manager and vice president. When professional hockey

810-807: The Boston Interscholastic Rowing Association. Brown enlisted in the 6th division of the US Navy and was appointed as director of athletics for the 1st District during World War I. He designed an athletic competition, the Chariot Race, that allowed thousands of men to compete in teams of one hundred, first demonstrated on the Boston Common in 1917. Brown lived in Hopkinton, Massachusetts throughout his life, married Elizabeth Gallagher, and had four sons and three daughters, who continued their father's pursuits. His son, Walter A. Brown , assumed

855-499: The Boston Marathon and regret that we will not be able to send you an application. Women are not physiologically capable of running a marathon and we would not want to take the medical liability. Furthermore, the Boston Marathon is a men's division event. The rules of International Sports and the Amateur Athletic Union, do not allow women to run races more than the sanctioned one and a half miles. Sorry, we could not be of more help. Sincerely, Will Cloney Regardless, in 1966, Gibb became

900-447: The Boston Marathon, replacing John Hancock. BOA will also sponsor other B.A.A. races, including the 5K, 10K, and half marathon. The B.A.A. organizes an annual relay race for Boston-area middle school and high-school-aged runners that takes place on Clarendon Street in Boston. Robert F. Clark Robert Farley Clark (May 20, 1838 –January 30, 1912) was an American banker, political figure, and sportsman who served as chairman of

945-555: The Boston Marathon—Brown created a BAA football team. He also officiated football games, and was an officer in the New England Football Officials Association for a dozen years. Brown also served as a member of the amateur boxing committee and organized national amateur championships from 1905 to 1920. Rowing was another sport for which he was an advocate, and for fourteen years, Brown was secretary of

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990-463: The Boston marathon from 1938 to 1942, and held the post of BAA president for over twenty years. Since 1905, for every year except one, a member of the Brown family has been the starter of the Boston Marathon. After George V. and Walter A., George V. Brown, Jr., started the race, from 1943 to 1980. Another son of George V., Thomas J. Brown, who was BAA president from 1982 to 1985, served as

1035-556: The Hopkinton Athletic Association commissioned sculptor Michael Alfano to create a statue honoring Brown. The bronze monument, "The Starter", was installed on the town common in 2009. Higdon, Hal (1995). A Century of Running . Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale Press. ISBN   0-87596-283-1 . Pave, Marvin (17 April 2008). "Legacy on the line (Boston Globe)" . Boston Globe . p. 2. "The Starter, sculpture of George V. Brown" . Archived from

1080-614: The Huron crew made up of Harvard students Samuel B. Parkman, Charles F. Walcott , William H. Elliot, William G. Goldsmith, Alexander Agassiz , and James J. Storrow . After graduating, Clark worked for his father, who was a prominent Boston importer. On September 2, 1861, Clark enlisted in the Union Army . Clark was commissioned a captain in the 24th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment . He took part in Burnside's North Carolina Expedition and fought in

1125-520: The Irish poet, activist, and editor John Boyle O'Reilly ; other noted sportsmen in Boston; members of prominent, wealthy Boston families, such as George Walker Weld ; and entrepreneurs and politicians of the day. According to its 1887 charter, the B.A.A.'s purpose was to "encourage all manly sports and promote physical culture." The organization was based in an opulent clubhouse, which opened in December 1888 and

1170-659: The Olympics, winning six of the 11 gold medals in track and field awarded to the U.S. team and two first-place medals in the shooting events. Inspired by the Olympic marathon , the B.A.A. team sought to establish a similar long-distance race in the United States. Consequently, the inaugural B.A.A. Boston Marathon was held in April 1897. The Association's unicorn symbol became associated with the Boston Marathon and appears on its medals to this day. The Boston Athletic Association ice hockey team won

1215-503: The battles of Roanoke Island , New Bern , Goldsborough Bridge , White Hall , and Tranter's Creek . He then served as a senior aide to brigadier general Thomas G. Stevenson and was with him at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner . Clark was ordered to return home following his father's death and was honorably discharged from the army on February 5, 1864. After leaving the Army, Clark became

1260-523: The board. In 1893, Governor John L. Bates chose not to reappoint Clark and he was succeeded by William H. Emmons. In 1865, Clark married Margarita Jones, daughter of John Coffin Jones Jr. They had one son, Robert J. Clark. Clark died on January 13, 1912, at his home in Milton, Massachusetts . George V. Brown George Vincent Brown (21 October 1880 – 17 October 1937) of Hopkinton , Massachusetts,

1305-557: The club voted to merge with the old B.A.A. and reorganize a new Boston Athletic Association. Barnes was elected president of the revived B.A.A. George V. Burns, a member of the Association's Governing Board and the manager of the Boston Garden , allowed the indoor games to be held at the Garden free of charge. Walter A. Brown was elected president of the Boston Athletic Association in 1940 and continued until his death in 1964. During this time,

1350-466: The first woman to run the Boston Marathon. She ran the race without registering and finished faster than two-thirds of the male competitors. Gibb also ran the marathon unofficially in 1967 and 1968, each year finishing first in the unsanctioned women's field. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer also ran the Boston Marathon, registering under the name "K. V. Switzer." She was assigned bib number 261 and assumed to be male, although she did not claim that. Two miles into

1395-493: The following year. Brown was succeeded by Will Cloney , who was president from 1964 to 1982. Historically centered on "manly" sports, the Boston Athletic Association did not allow women to register for the Boston Marathon until 1972. However, a few months before the 1966 marathon, Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb applied to run in the race. The B.A.A. rejected her application with a letter from Cloney where he stated, Dear Mrs. Burgay, We have received your request for an application for

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1440-602: The general manager position at the Boston Garden upon his father's death. Walter A. Brown went on to become general manager of the Boston Bruins ice hockey team, and founding owner and general manager of the Boston Celtics men's professional basketball team. Like his father, Walter A. Brown was inducted into the hockey halls of fame, and in addition, was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Walter also served as starter of

1485-622: The indoor games unprofitable. In 1971, the decision was made to end the B.A.A. meet. In 1951, during the height of the Korean War , Brown denied three Korean runners entry into the Boston Marathon. He stated: "While American soldiers are fighting and dying in Korea, every Korean should be fighting to protect his country instead of training for marathons. As long as the war continues there, we positively will not accept Korean entries for our race on April 19 ." The Association reversed this ban on Korean runners

1530-684: The marathon but also its year-round community programming. John Hancock continued to sponsor the marathon for 38 years until 2023, when the company chose not to renew the contract, allowing it to expire. The B.A.A. maintains an active running club, organizes the B.A.A. 5K on the weekend of the Boston Marathon, the B.A.A. 10K in June, the B.A.A. Half Marathon in October, and the Mayor's Cup cross country races in Franklin Park in October. The B.A.A. successfully bid to host

1575-563: The original on 2008-10-05 . Retrieved 2007-10-23 . Camp, Walter (1913). Athletes All – Training, Organization, and Play . Charles Scribner and Sons. "International Hockey Hall of Fame" . Archived from the original on 2007-12-08 . Retrieved 2007-10-23 . "US Hockey Hall of Fame" . Archived from the original on 2012-09-04 . Retrieved 2007-10-23 . "George V. Brown, Noted Sportsman, Dies at Hopkinton". Milford Daily Journal . 18 October 1937. p. 1. Jones, Victor O. (1937–1938). "George V. Brown's Chair

1620-556: The original on 2010-02-23. "Resolution on the Death of George V. Brown" (Press release). American Olympic Committee. 8 January 1938. "Thomas J. Brown: December 12, 1914 - May 3, 2005, past President of the B.A.A." Retrieved 2007-10-23 . Porter, David; Godin, Roger (1995). Biographical Dictionary of American Sports, 1992-1995 Supplement . Greenwood Press. ISBN   0-313-28431-8 . "Boston University Terrier's Hall of Fame, John O'Hare Jr" . Archived from

1665-413: The race, Switzer was momentarily stopped by race co-director Jock Semple , who unsuccessfully tried to remove her race number. The confrontation between Switzer and Semple was memorialized in photographs. And like Gibb, Switzer completed the race as an unsanctioned runner. Five women completed the Boston Marathon the following year despite being unable to register for the race. It wasn't until 1972, after

1710-413: The starter for the race through 1989. Thomas Brown's wife, Rosalie, has started the wheelchair race. George V.'s grandson, Walter F. Brown, was the race's starter from 1990 to 2013. Beginning in 2014, Christina Whelton, George V.'s great-granddaughter, has served as the starter. Like the Boston Marathon, many of the sporting events George V. Brown fostered, have continued for over a century. In 2008,

1755-599: Was also enshrined as a Builder by the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth , Minnesota, in 1973. In addition to organizing the 1924 U.S. Olympic Hockey team , Brown was a manager or U.S. Olympic Committee member from 1908 to 1920. He was the assistant track and field coach for the U.S. men's team in 1924 , 1928 , and 1936 . For the 1932 games in Los Angeles , Brown served as an official. In January 1938,

1800-616: Was an American sports official. He championed the development of various sports and sporting events in the United States , most notably the Boston Marathon and amateur ice hockey . From 1904 to 1936, Brown served the United States Olympic Team as a manager, official, and coach. In 1919, he became general manager of the Boston Arena, home to indoor track meets, boxing matches, and hockey games, among other events. He

1845-464: Was appointed to the B.A.A. BOG in November 2021, becoming the first woman of color to serve in that role. With the Boston Garden no longer involved with the B.A.A, a new board of directors was formed in 1977. The B.A.A.'s current headquarters is at 185 Dartmouth Street. In 1986, John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company assumed major sponsorship of the Boston Marathon, an affiliation that helped not just

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1890-434: Was born on October 21, 1880. He was the assistant manager at the 1920 Summer Olympics . He died on October 17, 1937. In 1899 Brown was hired as an assistant to the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) Athletic Director. For 33 years, from 1905 to 1937, Brown served as starter of the BAA's Boston Marathon , the oldest annually run marathon. For eleven of those years, he also managed the race. From 1905 to 1921, Brown managed

1935-471: Was first introduced and its teams sought to play at Boston's rinks, Brown opposed, favoring amateur competition. He later accepted the professionals and promoted the Boston Bruins playing at the Boston Garden . Brown served as athletic director at Boston University (BU) and in 1917, was instrumental in the creation of the school's first hockey team. The BU hockey team's annual Most Valuable Player award

1980-545: Was located on the corner of Exeter and Boylston Streets in Boston's Back Bay at the present-day site of the Boston Public Library . The athletic club provided extensive amenities for its due-paying members. Its first floor, called the "Social Floor," focused on the social aspects of membership. This first floor included a large dining hall, a library, a billiard room , a wine room, and two drawing rooms. The second and third floors focused on sports and training, including

2025-481: Was not affiliated with any political party. He was confirmed by the Massachusetts Governor's Council on April 13, 1893, and took office on May 1. He was reappointed by Governor Roger Wolcott in 1898. The following year, Clark was designated chairman of the commission by Governor Wolcott. Clark's two colleagues on the commission (Charles P. Curtis Jr. and Harry F. Adams) designed him the sole spokesman for

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