Categories

Contributors

Index

About

Contact

Black and white photo of Lestle Sparks in 1918 wearing a basketball uniform and standing in front of a building.

Lestle J. Sparks

Posted by:

Abigail

|

On:

|

,

Written by Hannah Mosher, Class of 2026

In 1974, construction of Willamette’s Sparks Center was completed. The university chose to dedicate the building in honor of Lestle J. Sparks, a man with an extensive history with the school beginning with his time as a student and subsequent career as a professor and coach. He was born in Arkansas on May 3, 1897 and moved to Oregon at the age of seven. He graduated from Bandon High School in 1914, going on to pursue his undergraduate degree at Willamette, where he earned his B.A in chemistry, graduating in the class of 1919.1 During his time as an undergraduate he was very involved on campus as a student assistant in the chemistry department,2 member of the Websterian Literary Society and player on the basketball team, and as assistant manager of the of the 1919 Wallulah yearbook. While at Willamette he was described as passionate about sports, education, and teaching.3

In 1923 Sparks was teaching chemistry and physical education as well as coaching tennis and track at Salem High School when the president of Willamette, Carl G. Doney offered to allow him to use the university track if he agreed to coach the WU track team.4 From there he was hired as the Assistant Professor of Physical Education at Willamette and began assistant coaching football and head coaching track, tennis, and freshmen basketball.5 In 1937 he took time off from teaching to earn his masters in hygiene, health, and physical education at Stanford University.6

In 1944 he was given a full professorship at Willamette and promoted to the head of the Physical Education department leading to many more accomplishments.7 For a time he served as the graduate manager which required him to manage student body finances and assist in creating the budget for the school year.8 While coaching basketball he introduced a “score sheet,” which charted the movements of each player during games for improvement. Eventually Sparks’ score sheet would be adopted at bigger schools such as the University of Oregon and others across the country, with some small alterations.9 He also managed and directed the annual State High School Basketball Tournament for 25 years which had started at Willamette.10

 However, intramural sports were described as Les’ “forte” and he was recognized and appreciated by Willamette’s athletes for his efforts to improve the school’s programs.11 While at Willamette “a typical day would find Sparks at the school before most professors. He wouldn’t leave until dark. He would teach classes, help in other classes, play tennis, or badminton at noon, coach the tennis team and wrap football players’ ankles.”12

During the Second World War, Sparks continued teaching and coaching at Willamette as Director of Physical Education. In 1943-1945, after the entrance of the United States into the conflict, Sparks corresponded with many of his students who had been stationed all over the country and overseas. Working through the constraints of wartime, he continued to schedule games for his athletes and communicate with coaches from other schools.13

Even after his retirement in June of 1962,14 Sparks continued to coach Willamette’s tennis team until 1974.15 After 55 years as a student, teacher, and coach, Lestle J. Sparks passed away at the age of 82 in 1979 after a long battle with illness. One of Willamette’s alumni publications, The Scene recognized his long-term contributions as follows, “to hundreds of former Willamette students, some of them now in their 50s and 60s, Sparks was a trusted friend and advisor.”16  He was also called “a pioneer in Oregon athletic education”17 and because of his devotion to the school his students and fellow faculty named him “Mr Willamette.”18 In 1981 to honor his memory and dedication to Willamette athletics, the university began annually awarding the Sparks Medallion19 to recognize “alumni who portray Lestle’s ideals of service.”20

Written Fall 2024

Endnotes

Click to expand
  1. ˆ John Dillin, “Les Sparks – WU student professor and coach dies at 82.” Willamette University Digital Collections Willamette Scene, 1 October 1979, 3.
  2. ˆ “Willamette University Bulletin” Willamette University Digital Collections Catalogs and Bulletins, 1919-1920, 10.
  3. ˆ Wallulah 1919, Willamette University Digital Collections Wallulah (Student Yearbook),58.
  4. ˆ Dillin, 3.
  5. ˆ Steve Taylor, “Willamette, Lestle Sparks Close Successful Season” Willamette Collegian, 29 May 1959, 4.
  6. ˆ “54th Glee Dedicated to Sparks” Willamette Collegian, 9 March 1962, 1.
  7. ˆ Dillin, 3.
  8. ˆ “Wallulah 1932” Willamette University Digital Collections Wallulah (Student Yearbook), 79.
  9. ˆ Taylor, 4.
  10. ˆ Dillin, 3.
  11. ˆ Taylor 4.
  12. ˆ Reid English, “Les Sparks – WU student professor and coach dies at 82.” Willamette University Digital Collections Willamette Scene, 1 October 1979, 1.
  13. ˆ “Carbons of Lestle J. Sparks letters with no letters from recipients, 1943-1945” Lestle J. Sparks Willamette Students World War II Correspondence collection, WUA086.
  14. ˆ “Homecoming, Nov. 11” Willamette University Digital Collections Alumni Publications, 1 November 1961, 12.
  15. ˆ Dillin, 3.
  16. ˆ Dillin, 3.
  17. ˆ Dillin, 3.
  18. ˆ English, 3.
  19. ˆ “Alumni honor Lloyd Girod for WU service” Willamette University Digital Collections Alumni Publications, 1 May 1986, 21.
  20. ˆ “Willamette Scene, spring 1993” Willamette University Digital Collections Alumni Publications, 1 February 1993, 26.

Works Referenced

Click to expand

Image Citations

Click to expand
  • “A student jogs out of the Sparks Center” Willamette University Digital Collections, Campus Photograph Collection, 19uu, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/25059.
  • “Basketball season: Lestle Sparks” Willamette University Digital Collections, Paulus Glass Plate Negatives Collections, 1918, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/15881.
  • “Lestle J. Sparks, Long-time Willamette tennis coach for whom the center is named, turns spadeful of earth at groundbreaking ceremonies” Willamette University Digital Collections, Campus Photo Collection, 1972, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/25056.
  • “Sparks Center Dedication” Willamette University Digital Collections, Campus Photograph Collection, 1974, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/25120.
  • Wallulah 1919, Willamette University Digital Collections, Wallulah (Student Yearbook,) 1919, https://hdl.handle.net/10177/11844.

Posted by

Abigail

in

,