Lowrie, Sexton, Hunt, Nichols Among Pioneers in Women’s Athletics at Wooster

Title IX, signed into law on June 23, 1972, states "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." On the 50th anniversary of Title IX's passing, we look back at some of The College of Wooster's pioneer coaches and administrators in women's collegiate athletics. This information is courtesy of the Women in Sport and Physical Education at The College of Wooster digital exhibit by Brenda Meese '75, retired associate professor, assistant athletic director, and field hockey coach, and Julia Gustafson, retired research and outreach librarian at the College. Meese and Gustafson were assisted on this research by the Women and Sport classes at the College and the Women's Athletic and Recreation Association (WARA). You can view the entirety of the exhibit and learn more about the eras of sports and physical education offerings at Wooster for women, the facilities used by women in sport and physical education, more about key women physical education and faculty and staff, more about the development, changes, and increase in sports for women at Wooster, and the key role WARA played by clicking or tapping here.

Kathleen Lowrie served as chair of the department of women's physical education for over 30 years. She was responsible for building a strong recreational-based program in sport and physical activities and developed the Women's Athletic and Recreation Association. During Lowrie's tenure spanning 1921-52, women participated in broad-based programming that focused on the theme "A Sport for Every Girl, and Every Girl in a Sport." Sport days and playdays, one-time events during the year where women at various colleges came together to compete with each other, developed under Lowrie's watch, although the emphasis was often on social aspects of opportunity rather than high-level competition and winning.

Maria Sexton came to Wooster in 1953 and served as professor and chair of the department of physical education until 1964. An early proponent of high-level competition for women, Sexton would lay the groundwork for varsity programs at the College. Under Sexton's leadership, Wooster moved from sport days and playdays to club teams, and later varsity teams, starting with basketball and field hockey in 1965 and volleyball in 1966. Sexton coached the first women's tennis team. She was a leader at the national level as well, serving as manager for the U.S. Women's Track and Field team on several occasions. Sexton chaired the women's basketball rules committee when women went from six players to five players and was one of three women who helped form the first organization to provide national championships for women's collegiate sports – the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). Sexton was inducted into the W Association Hall of Fame in 1988. The Women's Athletic and Recreation Association presents the Maria Sexton Award annually to the senior woman graduate who contributes most to women's athletics and recreation at Wooster.

When Ginny Hunt arrived in Wooster in 1962, there were no varsity sports for women. She played a major role in the establishment of field hockey, basketball, and volleyball as varsity sports, and her instrumental efforts led to more interest in and support for women's athletics at the College. She coached the first varsity field hockey team and the first varsity volleyball team at the College. Later, Hunt served as the first director of athletics for women at Wooster and was the acting chair of the department of physical education from 1973-74. She was believed to be the first woman to head both a men's and women's department at that time. Toward the end of her time at Wooster, Hunt pursued a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She went on to serve as women's athletic director at Montana State University from 1977 until 1993. There, she helped start the Montana West Athletic Conference and later served on the women's committee for the Big Sky Conference. Hunt was inducted into the W Association Hall of Fame in 1985 and the volleyball team named its annual home classic after her.

Nan Nichols' impact on women's athletics during her 32-year career at the College is well documented. After arriving in Wooster in 1963 as instructor of physical education, Nichols helped shepherd early club teams in women's athletics that were sponsored by the Women's Athletic Association to varsity status. She was the first varsity women's basketball coach and led the team to a 186-131 record, two NCAA appearances, and two conference titles in 22 seasons. In 1972, Nichols became women's athletic director, and a year later, she started the women's swimming and diving team, which posted a 70-8 record in her seven seasons at the helm. The national spotlight was on Nichols in the 1980s when she helped women's sports move from the AIAW years to NCAA governance. She helped form the Centennial Athletic Conference in 1983, which is believed to be the first collegiate athletic conference for women, and two years later, Nichols was involved in the formation of the North Coast Athletic Conference, the first college conference formed with men and women together. Nichols stepped down from coaching in 1986 and continued as women's athletic director and senior woman administrator until her retirement in 1995. She was inducted to the W Association Hall of Fame in 1997 and the women's basketball team's November classic is named in her honor.

Wooster currently sponsors 12 varsity sports for women – basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, and volleyball. Over 200 women competed on varsity athletic teams during the 2021-22 academic year, 19 were dual-sport athletes where at least one sport was one other than cross country or track & field, and 25 women were members of both the cross country and track & field teams.