Oberlin College was one of the first colleges in the country to develop a comprehensive physical education teacher's program, beginning with the 1885 arrival of Delphine Hanna. Hanna, mentee of Dio Lewis, a health educator in New York, saw physical education as a science and an important part of the development of a person in both mind and body. This philosophy guided the Physical Education Teacher's program, which was available only to women until 1905. While we may see nothing particularly visionary about such a theory, at the turn of the century Hanna was considered to be a pioneer in her field. Her biographer, Mary Dick, writes that "the prophetic vision, determined expertness and uniting perserverence of this pioneer director are the very foundation of physical education in Oberlin"(1935).

Hanna, in fulfillment of her philosophy, believed very strongly in the participation of female students in athletic activities. When she first arrived at Oberlin, she began a program putting each student through a thorough examination and then designing physical activity programs based on the results. The programs involved team sports, individual sports and other form of exercise. As participation in athletics among female students began to grow, the need for a cohesive organization became apparent. The Women's Gymnasium and Field Association emerged in 1904 out of this need.

The Women's Gymnasium and Field Association(GFA), which existed up until 1926, was created "to promote interest in the gymnasium and in out-of-doors sports as a means of securing recreation, physical development and health of its members"(Dick 1935). The Association organized social and athletic events and raised money for equipment and facilities. In fact, one of its first program was to raise money to have a new field laid out.

The GFA functioned as a counterpart to the already existing men's athletics at Oberlin. Men's sports, which were developed as both intramural and intercollegiate programs, were under the rule of Oberlin College. The school was responsible for funding, organization and all other aspects of men's athletics. While having no direct connection to the school, the GFA was run by a board consisting of students and the College's physical education faculty. The officers, all faculty, held one-year positions and were voted in to office by the officers of the previous year. Students from each College class, the Conservatory and the Academy (an Oberlin affiliated preparatory school for high school students) were also elected for a yearly position by the officers of the board. Delphine Hanna, as the director of the Physical Education department, sat as the treasurer on the GFA until her retirement in 1920.

By the late 1910's, female students became associate members of the GFA immediately upon enrollment in to the College, Conservatory or Academy(a preparatory school for high school students). To become a full-fledged member, one needed only to pay a small fee. Members had access to GFA controlled equipment and facilities as well as invitations to all social events. The board of the organization actively recruited members through tabling and by sending cards to students at the beginning of each school year.

GFA activities can be broken down under two main categories: sporting and social events. The various activities were arranged and organized by the board. In the early years of the GFA, men were not allowed to attend any social or sporting events. However, as the years progressed, men were gradually admitted to activities like dances and tournaments. When possible, a fee was charged for admission to events and the earned money was put into the GFA savings for future use, whether it be to purchase new equipment or help fund a dance. However, in an attempt to keep the organization accessible to all female students, entrance fees were always kept very low.

Sports were organized as intramural games and annual tournaments, with teams typically divided by class. The following are the years in which certain sports were introduced:

1885 tennis

1894 skating

1896 basketball, bicycling

1908 field hockey

1916 baseball, walking

1917 archery, golf

1920 soccer

1922 volleyball, bowling

1924 track

The most popular sporting event of the year for women was the Yale-Princeton game. This basketball game was played between two teams made of individuals who were seen by the board as excelling in the sport. Captains of each team were nominated and then voted on by the board, and responsible for organizing the game.

Women who participated in sports organized by the GFA could, through meeting certain criteria, earn both numerals and OC sweaters. When the GFA was first organized, one need only participate in a certain number of games to earn a numeral. By 1913, one needed good attendance, speed, teamwork, and general skill to earn a numeral and a sweater. Due to the expense of the sweaters, only the top five athletes for each sport in each class could receive a sweater. Two years later, a complicated point system was developed to determine who was eligible for a sweater. Athletes had to both fulfill the aforementioned criteria and participate in at least four different sports. Participation and performance in each sport earned a certain number of points.

In addition to athletic activities a wide range of social activities were offered. Classes, lectures, social teas, parties, dances and pageants were the main events organized by the GFA. Most of these were run out of the Dickinson House, the center of the GFA. The house, built in 1908, was created as "an ideal meeting and lounging place for the girls," and was located next to the athletic fields. In addition to holding special events, the board had its monthly meetings in Dickinson and opened the house up for drop-in hours. The GFA also raised money to purchase a victrola and a piano, which were presumably used for entertainment.

Classes and lectures were primarily taught by visitors from surrounding areas. Listed in the minutes are a class on cooking, proper attire and folk dancing. It is not evident in the minutes of the meeting whether or not these classes were required or if students had to pay a fee to attend.

A very important aspect of the GFA were the organized dances, which were held for both members only and for the entire student body. Three or four dances were held each year in Warner Gymnasium, the men's gym, and ranged in size. A committee of students was elected to organize each dance. As the varying success of the dances were usually the first thing mentioned in the annual report, one could safely say that these functions were probably the most important activity organized by the GFA.

From dances to field hockey games, the GFA played an essential role in organizing women's athletics. From its creation in 1904, membership in the association increased every year. Thus, the GFA was successful in increasing participation of women in a wide variety of athletics and allowing these women to develop their skills.

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