Auburn Gymnastics history dates back to the late 1890s but the Auburn Tigers gymnastics program wasn't founded until 1965[6] by Edwin Bengston; a kinesiology lecturer at the university and weightlifter.[7][8] After a successful few years of competition, the program was discontinued. In 1974, the program was reinstated by Bengston; Title IX providing the first form of financial aid of $150 to Jeanne Denoon-Amos.[9][10][11]