Adelbert College student Monroe Curtis founded Hudson Relays tradition

Photo from 1910 Hudson relay.
The first Hudson Relay, held in 1910.

This week we dove deep into the history of the Hudson Relays—all the way back to the very first one. Who was the student who came up with the idea back in 1910?

Monroe Curtis (ADL 1911) brainstormed the relays, launching a tradition 106 years strong.

As the creator of the event, Curtis was named chairman of the event and dedicated the Hudson Relays boulder.

The very first iteration of the event was held on Undergraduate Day, the Monday of commencement week, and was a tradition that continued for many years.

In 1972, President Louis A. Toepfer decided to bestow a trophy on the winning class each year, named in honor of Monroe.

Only 25 percent of this week’s respondents knew the relays began with Monroe.

His tradition will continue tomorrow (April 23) beginning at 10:30 a.m.