Harry Haydon Fouke (November 29, 1913 – November 5, 1992) was the first

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...

at the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

, and served in the position from 1945 to 1979. Fouke attended Main Avenue High School in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, and graduated from

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

in 1934, where he played varsity football. Fouke served as head football coach for San Antonio Technical High School and Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio throughout the rest of the 1930s and early 1940s. He later became the director of athletics for the San Antonio Public Schools System, the

Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...

, and ultimately the University of Houston. At Houston, Fouke oversaw the introduction of the football program, baseball program, men's basketball program, and the women's basketball program among others. During Fouke's last year at Houston, he was awarded the

Corbett Award The James J. Corbett Memorial Award is a US award given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). It is presented "to the collegiate administrator who through the years has most typified Corbett's devotion t ...

by the

National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) is a professional organization for college and university athletic directors in the United States. NACDA boasts a membership of more than 6,100 individuals and more than 1,600 ins ...

. Fouke was also a former president of the organization from 1974 to 1975. From 1962 until 1999, Fouke was the namesake of the Fouke Athletic Building on the campus of the University of Houston. It was demolished for the placement of the Athletics/Alumni Building.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fouke, Harry 1913 births 1992 deaths Houston Cougars athletic directors Rice Owls football players High school football coaches in Texas