Dr. James McNaughton
Fifth Principal
1895 - 1899
Football was emerging as a popular sport and exercise was the campus rage when Principal McNaughton came to head the Normal School of Arizona. Of the 158 students enrolled in 1896, 61, or 40%, were men, none of whom had played football. That didn't stop them from learning the game and participating in the sport. Physical education for women was soon added to the curriculum under Principal McNaughton, which brought the Normal School into the limelight.
But the game of football became more than just a sport under McNaughton. In fact, the football rivalry between Tempe and Tucson began under McNaughton's era with the first "Big Game" in November, 1899. ASU won the first football contest with the University of Arizona 11-2 at Carillo Gardens Field in Tucson. The Normal School also won the championship of the Football League of Arizona in 1899. Although Principal McNaughton was known for his continued support of athletics at the Normal School, he is also credited for bringing "good common school education" to a growing campus.