PHYSICAL CULTURES OF THE BODY 

Our most recent conference ran January 8-9, 2026
See the conference program here.
Links to past conferences and recorded videos are below.

As home to one of the world’s leading research groups dedicated to the study of physical culture, the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports is proud to announce that the sixth Physical Cultures of the Body Conference will be a hybrid event. Our focus remains on historical and other humanities-based approaches to the study of exercise, strength, sport training, strength athletes, competitive lifting, the healthful benefits of exercise, and all other aspects of what we call “physical culture” across the millennia. However, our hope is that many of you will choose to present in person this year and perhaps also make time to use the Stark’s resources during a visit to Austin. We hope that by meeting together we can learn more about each other, discuss our work, create new collaborations, and help the field of PC studies continue to grow.

This conference is co-sponsored by the peer-reviewed journal Iron Game History: The Journal of Physical Culture. The journal has established two awards for the conference: The David P. Webster Award for Best Graduate Essay and The Terry Todd Award for Best Paper by a Working Scholar. Each award winner will receive $300.00. Iron Game History is highly cited by other scholars because our back issues are on-line and free to all and it is used by Google Scholar in calculating citations. Submissions from scholars at all stages of their careers and from all academic disciplines are welcomed. To learn more go to: Iron Game History.

All are welcome. There is no charge for admission.

For questions, please email conference co-organizers:

Kim Beckwith – kim@starkcenter.org
Jan Todd – jan@starkcenter.org
Charles Stocking – charles.stocking@austin.utexas.edu

VISIT AUSTIN:

The University of Texas is in the heart of downtown Austin, making it a convenient vacation spot for academics. Looking south in this photo you can see the tall UT administration tower, the rotunda of the capital building, and the skyscrapers of Austin’s vital urban center. Come join us and see why people have made Austin one of America’s most popular destinations.

PAST CONFERENCES: