Distinguished Alumnus
Dr. David K. Wiggins took both his A.B. (1974) and M.A. (1975) in physical education from San Diego State University and Ph.D. (1979) in physical education with a specialization in sports history and minor in the philosophy of sport and physical activity from the University of Maryland. He spent the first ten years of his academic career at Kansas State University and 28 years at George Mason University. He was the Director of the School of Recreation, Sport, and Tourism and affiliated faculty in the Department of History and Art History. Primarily interested in studying the interconnection among sport, race, and American culture, Dr. Wiggins, now professor emeritus of sport studies at George Mason University after his retirement in 2018, has published some 30 essays in scholarly journals, many book chapters, and authored or edited 19 anthologies and monographs. Included among his books are Glory Bound: Black Athletes in a White America (1997); The Unlevel Playing Field: A Documentary History of the African American Experience in Sport (2003), Out of the Shadows: A Biographical History of African American Athletes (2006); Rivals: Legendary Matchups that made Sports History (2010); Separate Games: African American Sport Behind the Walls of Segregation (2016); and More than a Game: A History of the African American Experience in Sport (2018).
Dr. Wiggins has complemented his scholarship with several editorial and administrative positions and has acknowledged his professional contributions through many awards. He served as Editor of Quest (2007-2010) and Journal of Sport History (1996-2001) and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Kinesiology Review. Dr. Wiggins’ leadership positions include serving as President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Scholarly Colloquium (2011-2012) as well as the North American Society for Sport History (2019-2021) and has been an academic consultant for the United States Holocaust Museum, National Archives, and National Museum of African American History and Culture. He is a three-time recipient of the research writing award from the Research Quarterly for Exercise Science and Sport, a five-time recipient of the outstanding article award from the Journal of Sport History, and two of his anthologies were selected as the best of the year by the North American Society for Sport History. Dr. Wiggins has also given many invited lectures, including the 2010 Seward C. Staley Address at the annual conference of the North American Society for Sport History and the 2021 keynote address at the annual meeting of the American Kinesiology Association. He is an active fellow (#483) in the National Academy of Kinesiology.
