The Northwestern State University Athletic Department hosted a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, a federal civil rights law that bars sex discrimination in the nation’s schools. Signed June 23, 1972, Title IX is best known for unlocking educational and athletic opportunities.
The program specifically honored pioneer women athletes who competed at Northwestern from 1963-1975, recognized for playing “for the love of the game.” The female student athletes received no scholarships and had little funding for uniforms, equipment or travel.
A highlight of the program was a video message from Virginia Metcalf, a 1953 NSU graduate who participated in swimming, diving and softball as an undergraduate and continued to compete in sports after commissioning as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and embarking on a long career in the medical field.
