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Where Are They Now?
Shirley Rushing Poteet
Shirley Rushing Poteet hit the
ground running when she joined Trinity’s physical education staff in 1960 and she continues to do so today. During her professional career and in retirement, Rushing personifies the motto inscribed in the Bell Center entryway, “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body.” While the Poteet family TV room has a comfortable couch and
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chairs, most prominent are the exercise bike and treadmill, both of which show signs of frequent use. Rushing bikes twice a week, plays tennis once a week, and, with husband John, takes ballroom dance classes twice a week. A native of Iuka, Mississippi, Rushing earned the B.S. (1956) and M.A. degrees (1957) in health, recreation, and physi-
cal education from Mississippi Southern University. She taught three years at Baylor University before coming to Trinity in the fall of 1960. The only female on the physical education staff, Rushing shouldered a heavy workload on a campus that lacked an essential facility--a gymnasium. She arrived each day wearing a dress, hose, and heels (females were not permitted to wear shorts or slacks on upper campus) carrying a suitcase containing a swim suit, shorts, and leotards. Changing clothes in the women’s restroom, each week Poteet taught seven classes of aquatics, sports, and dance. In addition, she directed the women’s intramural program and supervised Trinity cheerleaders and majorettes. Her sports classes were held outside on the slab (now Pittman Tennis Courts) and physical education majors’ classes were taught in the Trinity Baptist Church gymnasium. Ballroom and modern dance classes took place on the third floor of the unfinished MarrsMcLean Science Building. Space issues improved when the Sams Center opened in 1964, but Poteet continued to maintain a busy teaching schedule. Additionally, she served as department chair (1985-1995), curriculum council representative, and president and social chair of the Faculty Club. A lesser known accomplishment was her role in organizing, mentoring, and securing financial support for the first women’s intercollegiate tennis teams.
Rushing’s 20 year marriage to Paul Rushing ended with his sudden death due to a heart attack in 1984. Ten years later, two weeks after she retired, she married John Poteet, a former colleague from her years at Baylor. She and John share many common interests including a penchant for physical fitness and enjoyment of social and educational activities. For five years, Rushing taught ballroom dance classes on various cruise lines with John as companion and helpmate. They continued cruising for pleasure and had land tours of Canada, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and South America. They also participate in the Road Scholars Programs (formerly Elderhostel Programs). So far they have attended 16 sessions in various parts of the country that included tours of national parks and other historical sites. At home in San Antonio, Rushing is active in the Trinity Women’s Club and the Castle Hills Women’s Club. She and her husband are members of Covenant Presbyterian Church and keep in touch with former colleagues and friends. They enjoy reading non-fiction works, especially biographies. Rushing can be contacted via email, Shirleypoteet@grandecom. net, telephone, 210-344-1441, or mail, 203 Squires Row, SA 78213. R. Douglas Brackenridge