Fifty years ago today (June 23), Congress passed the landmark legislation known as Title IX to prohibit sex discrimination in education and balance the playing field for women’s athletics.
Marietta College will honor this milestone throughout the 2022-23 academic year by hosting events and speakers that will commemorate the 50th anniversary. The College will also explore its transition of adding women’s athletics and recognize the individuals who helped advance women in sports from 1972 through 2022.
The College will not only acknowledge the amazing feats of former athletes who earned All-Conference, All-Region, and All-America status, but also coaches and administrators who embraced the challenges that arose in the 1970s and 1980s.
The College welcomed its first women’s varsity sport in 1974 (women’s basketball and rowing) and the most recent sport added was lacrosse in 2019. Other early additions were volleyball (1975) and softball (1980). Marietta also had women’s field hockey from 1966-85, but it was a club sport in the early days.
Marietta’s Office of Advancement is also conducting a fundraiser throughout the year to help with improvements in women’s athletics. This will not only help current female student-athletes, but also future generations of Pioneers who will succeed in the classroom and on the playing field.
Anyone who is interested in making a financial gift can do so at https://www.marietta.edu/give and click “Women’s Sports Fund” in the designation box.
To stay up to date with all elements of this celebration please go to the special Title IX web page.
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