Adele Celeste Ulrich
Dean Emerita, College of Human Development and Performance
University of Oregon
1924-2011
Celeste Ulrich, Fellow #182, died on August 4, 2011 after a short illness. For those of you who knew Celeste, it will be hard to accept that her voice is now silent. She was a consummate orator, whose voice once heard, could not be forgotten. Celeste’s messages and unique ways of delivery are vivid memories. She believed that speeches were made to be given, not read, and hers, categorically so. Celeste’s brilliant use of analogies strengthened by her grasp of the liberal arts and distinctive use of the language drew you easily into her world of ideas and dreams. She made these ideas pertinent and meaningful by showing us the power liberal arts had in their creation, something she lived every day. Celeste even captured you with her speech titles: Relevance, Revision, Reality – New Bottles for Old Wine, You Must Run at Least Three Times as Fast, The Mystery of the Invisible Female, The Demise of Minnie Mouse, Farewell the Tranquil Mind, and You Can’t Put Backspin on a Beanbag. She challenged herself to challenge us. For those who dared to think and try to make a difference, she would say “Bravo!” Here now is a glimpse of her legacy.
Celeste Ulrich was born August 24, 1924 to Frank G. Ulrich and Adele Seidewitz Ulrich in Baltimore, Maryland. She grew up in an era when opportunities for women were severely limited. Over her long and distinguished academic career, she changed stereotypes and broke many gender barriers.
Celeste graduated from Forest Park High School in 1942, and received her bachelor’s degree from the Woman’s College (now UNCG) in 1946. In 1947 she earned her master’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and her PhD from the University of Southern California in 1956.
Celeste taught as a graduate fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1946. From 1947 to 1956 she taught at Madison College (now James Madison University) in Harrisonburg, Virginia, then returned to the Woman’s College in 1956. In 1979 she left for the University of Oregon in Eugene to serve as professor and Dean of the College of Human Development and Performance. She retired as Dean Emerita of the College in 1990.
Celeste contributed extensively to the promotion of physical education and sport through her research, writing, speaking and professional service. During her tenure as President of the National Association for Physical Education of College Women, the Amy Morris Homans Lecture and the journal Quest were established. She held the offices of Vice President and President (1976-1977) of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. In 1983, The Alliance honored her with its prestigious Luther Halsey Gulick Award.
Celeste was a fiercely independent person. She was generous with her time and money in supporting causes throughout the country. Her life was dedicated to her profession and women’s causes. She was a mentor and inspiration to women for six decades. While Celeste was a serious person who held a number of important posts, she had an uncommon humility. She had a great sense of humor and an ability to find the good even in challenging situations. She was an avid international traveler who had a great interest in other cultures. She had an intellectual curiosity which was satisfied as a lifelong learner.
On the occasion of her 50th reunion from the Woman’s College, Celeste spoke at an alumni event sharing her belief in the value of her education with the following words:
For me, personally, my experiences in the Woman’s College Department of Physical Education would prove to be the platform of all subsequent endeavors and would remain as colorful today as they were over a half-century ago. If my College experiences were glazed with gold, it appears that those of yours, the current contingent, will be brushed with specks of diamonds. I wish for all of us such a bejeweled future.
