A statue honoring and recognizing the devoted service of Clyde “Doc” Partin, Sr.,  was recently unveiled at the Woodruff PE Center.

Considered the architect and patriarch of Emory Athletics, Partin served the University for over 50 years in the physical education department including a distinguished stint as the school’s athletic director (1966-83) and department chair of Health and Physical Education from 1966 through 1986.  During his tenure as athletic director, Emory Athletics saw unprecedented growth culminating in the construction of the Woodruff PE Center which opened in 1983.  The number of intercollegiate sports expanded as well with women’s tennis being added in 1975 followed by women’s cross country and track field in the early 1980s. From 1986 until his retirement in 2002, Partin was as a professor in physical education.   He also made his impact felt in the coaching ranks during his tenure as an assistant with the baseball and softball programs. In 2007, an endowment was established to name Emory’s athletic director’s position, the Clyde Partin Sr. Director of Athletics.  Partin passed away in June of 2009 at the age of 84.

“It’s comforting to know that Doc will never hang up his hat,” said Emory Athletics Director Tim Downes.  “The statue is a visible reminder of everything for which Doc Partin stood – being trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair and caring.”

Designed by Hanlon Sculpture Studio in Toms River, New Jersey, the statue is eight feet tall and weighs about 150 pounds.  It resides in the Doc Partin Timeline area of the Woodruff PE Center, where a history of Emory Athletics and Recreation is chronicled. The statue design is that of Partin’s famous tip-of-cap from when his No. 4 jersey was retired.