Director, Normal College, 1963-1971
Lola Lohse started teaching physical education in 1945 while her husband was serving in World War II. She took her first job teaching physical education in order to help pay the family's bills while her husband was away, thus beginning a distinguished career as a teacher, professor, director, and finally, dean.
Lohse became the director of the Normal College at IU Indianapolis in 1963. The Normal College had been a school within Indiana University since 1941, when Indiana University acquired it from the American Gymnastics Union. When Lohse took over the program in 1963, the Normal College did not offer a four-year degree program to students. Lohse and her staff worked for several years to create a four-year degree program in physical education at IU Indianapolis, which was adopted with the first degrees awarded in the Spring of 1972. Along with this change came the transformation of the Normal College into the School of Physical Education, with Lohse appointed the new school's first dean in 1971. Lohse became the second female dean to head a school at IU Indianapolis (Emily Holmquist was the first).
As director, and later dean, Lohse maintained an active interest in community outreach and created collaborative programs between the Normal College and several Indianapolis entities including the Indiana School for the Blind, Indiana Central Hospital, Indianapolis Parks Department, and Indianapolis Public Schools. Lohse also acted as a consultant for many area grade schools.
In 1968, Lohse became a founding member of the Indiana University - Indianapolis (and later IU Indianapolis) University Women's Club. The Women's Club acted as a network for female faculty and staff to share enrichment activities, fellowship, and career advancement support. Lohse served as the first treasurer and chair of the finance committee.
Lohse retired from IU Indianapolis in 1977 and died December 4, 1999. In 2004, Lohse House, a grouping of student housing along the canal, was dedicated in her honor.
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