Mitchell Field

Remembering the Father of Intramural Sports

by Qufei Wen

Mitchell Field serves as the "home field" for many of the University of Michigan’s intramural sports. After playing on this field for years, I realized I didn’t know where its name came from. It turns out, this popular space is named after long-time UM coach Elmer Dayton Mitchell, recognizing his remarkable contributions to Michigan athletics and recreational sports. His efforts encouraged thousands of students to step onto the sports field and participate in less competitive games for their well-being (source).

Mitchell Field. Photo by Qufei Wen (2024).

Elmer Mitchell. Photo courtesy: MGoBlue.com.

Elmer Mitchell, recognized as the "Father of Intramurals" has a lasting impact on sports at the University of Michigan. He coached UM's first basketball team and "organized the state's first prep basketball tournament" ("Deaths Elsewhere"), but is most remembered for his work as the Director of Intramural Sports, a position he took on in 1919 ("Elmer D. Mitchell"). While his coaching record was impressive, his true legacy lies in his vision for promoting intramural sports, a concept that became foundational in colleges across the country. His belief that college students should engage in recreational activities, not just varsity sports, set the groundwork for the entire intramural sports movement ("Club & Intramural Sports").

Mitchell is an UM alumnus, playing varsity baseball for three years while a student, "ascending to the role of captain during his senior year" ("Elmer Mitchell"). Before retuning to his alma mater, he managed a baseball team in the Upper Peninsula, coached at Union High in Grand Rapids and coached basketball at what is now Eastern Michigan University ("Mitchell, '12"). Mitchell was awarded a Medal of Honor by Czechoslovakia for his contributions to intramural sports ("Deaths Elsewhere"). Additionally, in 1930, he was elected to the National Academy of Kinesiology, solidifying his impact on both athletics and academics (source). In 2002, Elmer D. Mitchell was inducted into the University of Michigan’s Hall of Honor ("Elmer D. Mitchell").

Despite "work[ing] under the motto 'Athletics for All'" ("Elmer D. Mitchell"), Mitchell's legacy is marred by "his controversial 1922 treatise entitled Racial Traits in Athletics" published by the American Physical Education Review in which he makes racist claims about various ethnic groups ("Elmer Mitchell").

Elmer Mitchell (1912), while a UM undergrad and a senior captain on UM's varsity baseball team. Photo courtesy: lsa.umich.edu.

Mitchell Field. Photo by Qufei Wen (2024).

Walking on Michell Field, people will be surprised by its size and quality. Two standard soccer fields, one rugby field, and one baseball field are arranged near the Huron River. Every afternoon, when students are playing on the field under the sunset glow in the sky, it is the most beautiful "oil painting" that shows youth, vitality, and passion for sports.

Today, Mitchell Field remains one of the most important spaces for student recreational sports activities, with continuous upgrades such as improved lighting and drainage systems, ensuring it remains a prime location for sports in all weather conditions ("Mitchell Fields").

It seems Elmer Mitchell's name may have been a predictor of his legacy. The name Elmer comes from the Old English words æðele, meaning "noble" and mære, meaning "famous" ("Elmer"). The name Mitchell means "big," coming from the Middle English words michel or mechel and can also mean "son of Michael" ("Origins"). He did turn out to be a big name in Michigan athletics, famous for his influence on intramural sports. The naming of the field honors his accomplishments while also reflectsing the university’s commitment to encouraging more students to get out on the field and enjoy sports. As more U-M students step onto the field and immerse themselves in intramural games, I believe that’s exactly what Mr. Mitchell would have wanted to see.

Works Cited

"Club and Intramural Sports." Michigan in the World: U-M History, University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and Arts, michiganintheworld.history.lsa.umich.edu/michiganathletics/exhibits/show/athletics-for-all/clubs-and-intramural-sports. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.

"Elmer." Behind The Name, behindthename.com/name/elmer. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

"Elmer D. Mitchell." University of Michigan Hall of Honor, M Go Blue, 2002 mgoblue.com/honors/university-of-michigan-hall-of-honor/elmer-d-mitchell/146. Accessed 30 Sep. 2024.

"Elmer Mitchell and Institutionalized Racism." Michigan in the World: U-M History, University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and Arts, michiganintheworld.history.lsa.umich.edu/michiganathletics/exhibits/show/athletics-for-all/clubs-and-intramural-sports. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

"Deaths Elsewhere: Elmer D. Mitchell." Obituary in The Blade, Toledo, Ohio, 17 Jun. 1983, news.google.com/newspapers?id=O5AxAAAAIBAJ&pg=5400,6981528&dq=elmer-mitchell&hl=en. Accessed 30 Sep. 2024.

"Mitchell, '12, Basketball Coach." The Michigan Alumnus, Apr. 1917, 418. Alumni Association of the University of Michigan. Retreived via Google Books, books.google.com/books?id=kQ_iAAAAMAAJ&q=Union+High+School+%28Grand+Rapids%2C+Michigan%29+Elmer+Mitchell. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

"Mitchell Fields Reopening." The University Record, 7 May 2021, record.umich.edu/articles/mitchell-fields-reopening/. Accessed 30 Sep. 2024.

"Origins of the Mitchell Surname." Find My Past, findmypast.co.uk/surname/mitchell. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Wen, Qufei. Photograph of Mitchell Field (which one is this?). 26 June 2024.

Wen, Qufei. Photograph of Mitchell Field (which one is this?). 29 Sept 2024.

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