Founded by Kinesiology and Health Education faculty members Terry and Jan Todd, the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports is a recognized research center within the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. The Stark Center is being made possible through the generous donations of a number of private foundations and individuals. The Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation of Orange, Texas, helped us get this project underway with a $3.5M gift—without which UT would not have provided us with our space in the North End Zone Building. This gift was used in its entirety during the first phase of The Center’s construction. In the Spring of 2009, The Stark Foundation pledged an additional $2M for the construction of our exhibit galleries and museum areas. We are deeply grateful to the Board of Directors of The Stark Foundation for their generous support of our project.

Named for former University of Texas regent, H.J. Lutcher Stark, The Center has two main divisions: The Stark Center Library (now open) and The Center’s museum and exhibit galleries (scheduled for completion in the Spring of 2010). Construction is now underway on The Joe and Betty Weider Museum of Physical Culture, named in honor of the Weiders’ generous pledge of $2M to the Stark Center, and the Sports Galleries which will house items from Ben Crenshaw’s golf collection; artifacts from Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the father of Aerobics; and an interactive display on the history of strength and conditioning for athletes underwritten by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The exhibit areas of the Stark Center will also contain a fine art gallery and four photography galleries.

Our Mission

As an academic unit of The University of Texas—one of the nation’s major research universities—the H.J. Lutcher Center is committed to:

1. serving as a resource and research center in the fields of physical culture and sports,
2. building the finest collections possible,
3. preserving the history of physical culture and sports, and
4. educating the public about the history of physical culture and sports.