Jan. 25—More than six months of work culminated this weekend as Missouri Southern State University welcomed more than 300 former female athletes from a variety of sports and eras for a celebration of 50 years of women’s athletics at the university.
Passage of Title IX in 1972 cleared the path for women in sports, and two years later, at the urging of five female students, Missouri Southern State College, as it was known at the time, launched a women’s basketball team. Since then, the women’s athletic program has grown to include volleyball, softball, track and field, cross-country, golf, soccer, cheer and dance.
Events kicked off Friday with an evening social and dinner at the Billingsly Student Center and the Beimdiek Recreation Center.
The dinner included a short program with remarks from MSSU President Dean Van Galen as well as MSSU’s first female coach and athletic director, Sallie Beard.
Events continued Saturday with a 50th anniversary brunch at 10 a.m. at the Billingsly Student Center. The women were then recognized at halftime of both the women’s and men’s basketball games against Pittsburg State University on Saturday.
Former women athletes also were recognized during homecoming in October.
