John Hulley
John Hulley | |
|---|---|
Head of Hulley, from the statue on Liverpool Waterfront | |
| Born | John Hulley 19 February 1832 10 Gloucester Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom |
| Died | 6 January 1875 (aged 42) 91 Grove Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom |
| Resting place | Grave G493, Toxteth Park Cemetery |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Louis Huguenin's school, Liverpool; Matriculation at the Collegiate Institute, Liverpool |
| Occupation(s) | Honorary Secretary of the Liverpool Athletic Club; Director of the Rotunda Gymnasium; Manager of the New Liverpool Gymnasium; Vice-President and Honorary Secretary of the Athletic Society; Honorary Member of the Wenlock Olympian Society; Director of the Liverpool Gymnasium; Chairman of the National Olympian Association; Gymnasiarch of Liverpool. |
| Known for | Encouraging public participation in physical education to improve health and well-being; establishing the National Olympian Association; with William Penny Brooks and Ernst Ravenstein, organising the first National Olympian Games; exposing the Davenport Brothers; introducing the Velocipede into Liverpool |
John Hulley (19 February 1832 – 6 January 1875) was an English gymnastics and athletics entrepreneur who encouraged public participation in physical education to improve health and well-being, and was one of the instigators of the Olympic movement in Britain. At his Liverpool Gymnasium in 1865 he established the National Olympian Association, the forerunner of the British Olympic Association. With William Penny Brookes and Ernst Georg Ravenstein, he organised the first National Olympian Games in 1866. He organised a series of Assault-at-Arms gymnastic events in Liverpool and Manchester. He organised six Olympic Festivals between 1862 and 1867 in Liverpool and Llandudno. With Robert B. Cummins, he exposed American magicians the Davenport brothers. He introduced the velocipede into Liverpool.