Geary Eppley

Geary Francis "Swede" Eppley ( December 30, 1895 – June 10, 1978) was an American university administrator, professor, agronomist, military officer, athlete, and track and field coach.

[4] In track, he set the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference pole vault record, and in football, he was named a second-team all-conference end.

[1] Eppley joined the faculty as an assistant professor of agronomy in 1922, and in 1926, he earned a master of arts degree from what was by then known as the University of Maryland.

[1] The following year, Eppley became the athletic director and served in that capacity until 1947;[1] during his tenure, Maryland won one football and six lacrosse national championships.

The enrollment of many wounded veterans increased the need for handicapped access, and the sheer number of students meant dining facilities required waits of up to an hour.

In 1947, Eppley wrote to the assistant dean of women in the defense of some fraternity brothers who had broken into a sorority, but conceded that "the drinking problem on the university campus is a little worse than usual due to the aftermath of the war.

[1] In a controversial episode in 1953, Eppley confiscated thousands of copies of The Diamondback student paper because of an exposé on living conditions in the female dormitories.

An alumni group had petitioned to rename the Adele H. Stamp Student Union in honor of Eppley, who had organized its creation, but were rebuffed by the university.

The school's administration later agreed to dedicating the recreation center to Eppley after an important patron threatened to cut off donations.