The papers of Frederick Shults document his involvement with physical education and athletics at Oberlin College for nearly 35 years. Shults’s many writings and instructional materials included in the collection record his philosophy on teaching, coaching, sports ethics, and many forms of sports strategy.

Series I. Biographical File, 1954-94, n.d. (0.1 l.f.)

One folder contains newspaper and magazine clippings regarding Frederick Shults and his family. A miscellaneous file includes various versions of Shults’s Vitiae, biographical forms, teaching qualification lists, and several photographs of Shults. Two restricted files include self and departmental evaluations. A final restricted file contains material mainly from Indiana University’s Bureau of Educational Placement much of which are grades from his time at Indiana.

Series II. Correspondence, 1925, 1961-92 (0.3 l.f.)

The correspondence series contains both incoming and outgoing letters of Frederick Shults. It is divided by subject as Shults handled his correspondence. Many of the letters concerns the requesting and receiving of professional references. A folder which Shults titled “Coaching Rewards” includes letters, cards, and other expressions of gratitude from Shults’s former students. Two folders contain letters relating to the publication of articles and Shults’s manuscript The Competitive Ethic.

Series III. Teaching Materials, 1973-84, n.d. (0.4 l.f.)

Shults’s teaching materials contain mainly lecture notes for three courses he taught: The Competitive Ethic, History of Physical Education, and Sociological Perspectives of Sport. Some supplementary material is included with the related class.

Series IV. Writings of Fredrick D. Shults, 1883-2006, n.d. (1.0 l.f.)

The writings of Frederick Shults include his academic compositions, written for the completion of his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, and his research files for his Ph.D. dissertation. Copies of Shults’s published writings—which include titles such as “Broadening the Athletic Experience” and “Freedom Issues in Sport” as well as “Scoring from the Kick-off”—are included and come from various publications (e.g., Oberlin Alumni Magazine and Athletic Journal). See a full listing of Shults’s published articles in the inventory. Several boxes of unpublished manuscripts, including an “Introduction to Beginning Handball, Racquetball, and Paddleball” and “Beginning Lacrosse” are also included.

Series V. Talks and Presentations, 1970-90, n.d. (0.2 l.f.)

Consisting of one folder, this series contains handwritten and typescript outlines and drafts of talks Shults gave to many organizations. Among others, the records include his notes for a City Club Talk, 1990; Elyria High School Banquet, 1989; and a Sandwich Seminar on “Male Perspectives of Women in Sport,” 1977.

Series VI. Coaching Files, 1960-93 (1.8 l.f.)

Included in this series are fifty-three folders containing statistical summaries and often photographs of the many lacrosse and soccer teams Shults coached. The remaining boxes in the series contain Shults’s scorebooks which record game statistics for much of his coaching career.

Series VII. Miscellaneous Research Notes and Files, 1965 (0.4 l.f.)

This series contains Shults’s notes on physical education related material in faculty meetings, 1836-1965.

Series VIII. Miscellaneous Department of Physical Education Files, 1922, 1963, 1972-84, n.d. (0.2 l.f.)

This series contains memos and supporting documentation regarding a range of Physical Education policies and decisions. A separate folder is dedicated to Jack Scott, former Director of Athletics and Chairperson of the Physical Education Department. Also included are anonymous anthropometric measurements and materials on the history of athletics.

Series IX. Miscellaneous Published Materials, 1929-31, 1971-73, (0.6 l.f.)

This series includes bound issues of Black Sports magazine, 1971-73; reports from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1929-31; and “The College and Society,” by Ernest H. Wilkins, 1931.

Series X. Non-Textual Records, 1958, 1960-93, n.d. (0.6 l.f.)

This series contains miscellaneous non-textural items collected by Shults. Included are copies of Shults’s writings on audio cassette, microcards, and computer disk, photographs of various athletic teams, and VHS video tapes of soccer games.

The Frederick D. Shults Papers were received in four accessions in 1989, 1993, and 2007 from Frederick Shults. [Acc. 1989/005, 1993/091, 1993/113, 2007/049]

See also records of the Physical Education Department (RG 9/6).