Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1980
Fanny Crenshaw was a member of the faculty for 41 years at the University of Richmond. Miss Crenshaw was a pioneer in the development and promotion of field hockey in the United States, having served on the committee that organized the United States Field Hockey Association. She also served as the second vice president in its first year. Born January 17, 1890, in Richmond, Va., Crenshaw graduated from Virginia Randolph Ellett School, which is now St. Catherine's School. She received her A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and had advanced studies at Columbia University. She was a member of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She was also a member of the Association of Physical Education in college for women. She was active in the Red Cross as a water safety instructor.
She helped to organize the physical education program at Westhampton College in 1914 where she coached archery, basketball, tennis and track. She was the basketball coach for women at the University of Richmond from 1919 to 1955. Miss Crenshaw was co-founder of the Virginia Field Hockey Association, honorary member to the Tidewater Hockey Association and Southeast Hockey Association. She was also Chairwoman of numerous college and high school clinics.
Miss Crenshaw was the first person to complete the fifty mile swim for fitness in Crenshaw Pool. Once located in Keller Hall, the pool was named for Crenshaw in 1936. In 1975, Miss Constance M.K. Applebee, founder of Field Hockey in the United States and former teacher of Miss Crenshaw at Bryn Mawr, established the Fanny G. Crenshaw Scholarship in her honor with a gift of $20,000. After Miss Crenshaw retired she was active in the work of the Churchwomen of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and as a volunteer teacher at McGuire's Veterans Hospital as well as keeping up with officiating and judging basketball and hockey, helping in clinics, tournaments and in other capacities. She was Director of Physical Education at Westhampton College for 41 years and the home of Spider hockey, Crenshaw Field, is named in her honor.
