Call Us Today! 1.800.223.2668|info@ussa.edu Apply Give Free Courses Bookstore Students In Memory of Founding President Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich 7 August 1932 - 29 August 2020 The Academy’s Founding President A native of Sheboygan Falls, Wisc., Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich served as the Academy’s president and chief executive officer for 43 years until 2015, when his son, Dr. T.J. Rosandich, was named president and CEO. Rosandich’s enduring legacy is that the Academy continues to thrive and serve the profession as an independent, non-profit, accredited, special mission Sports University created to serve the nation and world with programs in instruction, research, and service. Rosandich founded the Academy in 1972 in response to a poor performance by the United States Olympic team in the 1972 Munich Games. Research suggested that American athletes were lacking quality coaching and training, which Rosandich believed could best be remedied through education. Rosandich relocated the Academy to Alabama in 1976 as the only free-standing and accredited sports university in the United States. Over the past 45 years, the Academy has conferred thousands of sport-specific degrees to its students and has enriched the lives of countless more through its education and outreach programs that have been delivered in some 67 countries around the world. The Academy now offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs as well as a wide array of non-degree sport education programs. Education Rosandich brought to the Academy a storied career in sport. He starred in football and track and field at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he graduated with a degree in physical education and history in 1954. His alma mater has recognized his contributions by his induction into the UW-La Crosse Athletic Wall of Fame in 1983, naming him the Maurice O. Graff Distinguished Alumnus in 1989, and honoring him annually by presenting the Rosandich Thesis Award, which recognizes the student with the best master’s degree thesis of the year. Rosandich went on to earn a master’s degree in sport administration from the National School of Sport at the University of Indonesia and a Ph.D. in research at Union Graduate School in Ohio. Before founding the Academy, he also served as director of athletics at the University of Wisconsin system at Parkside and Milwaukee. His substantial contributions to track and field earned him induction in the Helms Track and Field Hall of Fame. He has also been active in professional organizations such as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). International Impact Induction into the International Sports Hall of Fame (ISHOF). Following graduation from UW-La Crosse, Rosandich began a 20-year career of service in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, where he coached numerous world record and Olympic track and field athletes. He was the founder and director of the inaugural Marine Corps Schools Relays in Quantico, Va., and was named the All-Marine Track and Field Coach, All-Marine Cross Country Coach and All-Service Coach in 1956 in which capacity he coached the military track and field athletes in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Between 1956 and 1976, Rosandich coached in some 50 countries preparing national teams for international games as part of the U.S. State Department’s “U.S. Ambassadors of Sport” program. In this role, Rosandich was charged with using sport to elevate America’s relationship with nations around the world. Though fully engaged in building the Academy into America’s premier school of sports, Rosandich still found the time to contribute to the profession in many ways, including serving as a supporter, leader and advocate for the global advancement of sport, earning numerous national and international honors. For his work in the Olympic Movement, Rosandich was awarded the highest International Olympic Committee honor, The Olympic Order, in 1997. Contributions to the Arts The Academy campus, located in Daphne, Ala., which has won architectural awards for its beauty, also houses the American Sport Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA). Founded in 1984 by Rosandich, ASAMA embodies the enduring connection between sports and art. Through tireless effort, Rosandich built the collection into a world-recognized museum housing more than 1,800 pieces in all mediums. It is thought to be the largest museum of the sport genre in the world and is open free-of-charge as a public service to the community. Rosandich also created the Academy’s Awards of Sport program, which each year serves as “A Tribute to the Artist and the Athlete.” The Academy presents the awards to pay tribute to those who have made significant contributions to sport, in categories as diverse as the artist and the athlete in several different arenas of sport. Local Impact Rosandich’s impact in Southwest Alabama has transcended sport and education and has included initiatives such as the creation of “Operation Bounce-back”, the first cardiac rehabilitation program in Mobile. Through the Academy’s outreach programs, the institution is the only enterprise in the area that has brought six foreign heads of State to the Port City. Condolences From Around The World A letter from the King of Bahrain A letter from The Gabarron A letter from E. Gaylon McCollough, MD FACS Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs A letter from Dr. George Pigos About The Academy Our History Academy Founder Mission & Values Accreditation Newsroom Publications One Academy Drive Daphne, AL 36526 Phone: 1.800.223.2668 Email: info@ussa.edu DEPARTMENTS Executive Academic Affairs Student Services Administration & Finance Human Resources Communications & Marketing Information Technology RESOURCES Central Login Try Our Free Courses Solutions Center Consumer Information Title IX Employment Opportunities Contact The Academy CAMPUS SAFETY Health & Safety Campus Alert System Emergency Preparedness Environmental Safety Campus Safety and Security Copyright © 2018 United States Sports Academy | 1.800.223.2668 | Contact Us Accessibility | Disclaimer | Privacy | About This Site By clicking accept, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation and analyze site usage. ACCEPT