Five decades ago, 37 words changed the game for girls and women in education and sport:
"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
Sen. Birch Bayh of Indiana authored Title IX, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on June 23, 1972. Title IX, part of the Educational Amendments of 1972, mandated change across education in the United States by declaring sex discrimination in educational settings illegal, thereby expanding access and opportunities for girls and women.
Title IX originally did not specifically address athletics. Nor did the members of Congress envision it as a sports law. While Title IX was up for debate, women leaders in physical education across the country were working on building an organization that would oversee national championships for female athletics outside of the male-centered NCAA. This would become the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in 1971 (AIAW).
Colby joined the AIAW in 1973. That same year the Mules hosted the nation's first intercollegiate women's ice hockey game against Brown University winning 3-2. However, this was far from the first time women participated in sports at Colby College.
In 1880, the first activity the College offered women to play was croquet, followed by intramural basketball in 1896 (only five years after the game was introduced at Springfield College). In 1898, Colby founded a women's physical education program and hired Margaret Koch as the first instructor; supporting sports like field hockey, tennis, volleyball, basketball, and archery. As time evolved, a gymnasium for women was built on Mayflower Hill in 1941 which provided the needs of their indoor programs. In 1954, Colby participated in its first intercollegiate women's competition, a ski meet, but no scores were kept otherwise it would seem too competitive. In 1965, the College added coed golf as a varsity sport, the first varsity sport that featured women. That same year Marjorie Bither became the director of women's physical education and shortly assembled a statewide committee designed to further women's athletics on college campuses. The committee said there should be at least three competitive sports for women, and students chose tennis, bowling, and badminton. In 1973 Bither was appointed director of physical education, one of the first women in the nation named to run a coeducational collegiate program. Today, Colby Athletics has grown to a remarkable size, hosting 16 varsity sports for women.
In celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Colby College Athletics will host programs, tributes and other activities throughout the '22-'23 academic year bringing attention to the monumental event that shaped our current landscapes in such great ways. Further featured articles about the history of women in sports at Colby will be released on the website and pushed across all social media platforms.
"Colby has a LONG history of providing physical activity for women, far before many other institutions of higher education and the passing Title IX," said Casie Runksmeier, Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator. "In fact, Colby was a pioneer in offering opportunities. For this reason, it is our honor to celebrate all that has happened on the Colby campus regarding women in sport, especially with the 50th Anniversary of Title IX upon us."
Original source can be found here
Alerts Sign-up