Jennette E. C. Lincoln

Jennette E. C. Lincoln was the Director of Physical Training for Women, from 1898-1909. During her tenure she would bestow unto the University of Illinois a new tradition called the Maypole Dance.

In the Maypole Dance, people gather around a pole or tree that has been strung with streamers, then they circle around it in uniformed sequence. Bringing a sense of joy to its participants, the dance would become a favorite at the university. Lincoln would heavily promote the dance due to the activity’s versatility of being played in any number of environments, whether it be a schoolroom, church, park, etc. Also she would declare that the Maypole Dance would play into the larger “playground movement,” with the idea being that women and children would immensely benefit from engaging in outside revelry.

Lincoln would also publish several texts relating to Maypole Dances, including an article titled “How to Give A Maypole Dance “(1911), as well as The Festival Book (1912), where she describes the multitude of dances and performances conducted at the University of Illinois, serving as a time capsule for the school back in the early 1900’s. These books were written for the benefit of other universities so they too could participate in the merry making. While the tradition has died down today at the University of Illinois, Lincoln’s contributions will always be remembered for inspiring people to engage in physical health and have fun at the same time.