University a ‘pioneer’ for women’s sports
Marlena Taylor was unaware of CMU’s history in the implementation of the gender-equality law Title IX until a Thursday night presentation.
“I did not realize that Central was a forerunner of making sure that equal opportunities were around for women and men,” the Detroit senior said.
The drastic changes in women’s sports since the implementation of Title IX in 1972 were discussed in an interactive forum in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.
Former professor Jane McNamara, alumna Nancy Clark and Senior Associate Athletics Director Mary C. Weston educated CMU staff and students on the history and advancement of women’s athletics during the presentation.
“Sports for girls were frowned upon (in the 1920s and 1930s) because people thought that their reproductive organs would be damaged and boys would not like them,” McNamara said.
McNamara made it a personal goal to get those biases removed from society. She pioneered equality efforts at CMU.
McNamara coached women’s field hockey, basketball and track and field for the Chippewas from 1941 to 1970.
She was instrumental in the development of the women’s basketball and field hockey programs at CMU in the 1940s and 1950s.
These progressions led to a surge of new opportunities for female athletes in the 1960s at CMU as programs like volleyball, softball, gymnastics, archery, tennis and golf emerged.
All three speakers said the biggest obstacle women’s athletics had to face was a lack of funding.
Sports were not budgeted at CMU until the 1970s and preference was given to men over women because they scheduled more games.
Central was a pioneer university in the development of women’s athletics, Weston said.
“We had a lot of leadership from women and support from the men,” she said.
