Athletics, though never the primary focus of college life in America have always been important.  Since the first Harvard/Yale football match, athletics have shaped campus culture, identity, and spirit at America’s elite educational institutions.  Athletics at Washington University are no exception.  However, Washington University is a coeducational institution. Like at many other coeducational institutions, women’s athletics, historically were not treated the same as men’s athletics, in coverage, attendance, funding, and support.  The history of women’s athletics at Washington University is typical in many ways of a private American coeducation institution, but is in many ways unique.  Through the 20th century, Washington University evolved from the average coeducational private institution into an elite research university with a strict focus on academics.  The history of women’s athletics at Washington University is the story of how the university shaped its identity and its programs as well as the times and the culture around it, as it defined the new identity over the course of the century, and of course of the women who molded it.
 

Timeline of Washington University Athletics with a focus on Women’s Athletics:

1853-    Founding of the University
1867- The Men’s Washington University Basketball Club is founded
1871-    Washington University builds its first gymnasium
1874- Washington University Men’s Basketball club plays St. Louis University in Washington  University’s first intercollegiate game ever
1890-    Washington University formally began intercollegiate athletics in men’s athletics
1903-  Washington University moves to Hilltop campus buildings men’s athletics facilities
1907-    Washington University completes McMillan Hall, the first female dormitory, with a gymnasium. 
Also, hires Mary L. Babcock to teach women’s athletics and begin a women’s basketball club
1911-    Women’s Athletics Association is formed
1918 - Washington University has interclass teams in 5 sports, indoor and outdoor track competitions, 
and swimming relays.
1919-    A points system is made so participants in women’s athletics can earn varsity letters
1920-    Washington University women’s teams played a limited amount of intercollegiate games against 
 local teams.  Women’s athletics honorary societies were founded.
1922-    Washington Sororities sponsored a Panhellenic Honorary Field Hockey team
1928 - Washington University Soroities formed an intramural, intra-sorority athletic competition.
1929-    Stock Market crash and loss of money for the school, many athletic projects, including the new
 men’s stadium were put on hold.
1942-    All men’s athletics except intramural basketball halted due to war
1943-    Chancellor Arthur Holly Compton officially made Washington University a Division III athletic 
school, not offering any athletic scholarships and withdrawing the school from the Missouri 
Valley athletic conference
1947-    Intercollegiate Football returns to Washington University, the points system for women’s varsity 
letters is canceled.  
1948- The Women’s Athletics Association’s name is changed to the Women’s 
Recreational Association, all women’s intramural athletics are taken over by the Panhellic 
council. 
1955-  WRA ruled that “varsity” team members could not participate in intramural athletics.
1956-    Due to a lack of participation because of the 1955 WRA ruling, all women’s varsity athletics at
Washington University were canceled. 
1971-    Chancellor Danforth suspends men’s basketball due to lack of funds
1972-    Title IX was passed as an amendment to the House Bill on Education of 1967.  Schools had to 
comply with IX by 1975.  Several women were able to join men’s varsity teams at Washington 
University
1975-    Chancellor Danforth, after almost losing a lipids contract at the Medical school for not 
submitting an Affirmative Action plan to the office of Civil Rights, begins to make plans for Title 
IX Compliance. The Women’s varsity Tennis team is re-established and a committee is 
appointed to look into Title IX Compliance
1978-  Washington University established 4 women’s varsity teams with 41 athletes 
1982-    The UAA conference was established by the NCAA with Washington University as a member
1989-  The Washington University Women’s Volleyball team became to the first Washington University 
to win a NCAA Division III championship. 
1990- Washington University had 8 women’s varsity teams with 113 participants.  
 

**  Submitted by Hannah Grossman