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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, February 5, 2009

IU honors pioneers in women's collegiate sports

Editors: Keynote speaker and former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh, along with honoree Joan Hult will be available to talk with reporters on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at The Clubhouse at the Fields, 1333 Fenbrook Lane. Both can discuss their integral roles in the passage of the federal Title IX Act, which greatly expanded athletic opportunities for women.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 5, 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University alumna Joan Hult and IU athletic trainer Katie Grove, both pioneers in women's collegiate athletics, will be honored on Saturday (Feb. 7) in conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sport Day by the Indiana University School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, the IU Alumni Association and the IU Office for Women's Affairs.

Former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh will deliver the keynote address at a banquet honoring the women. During his three terms in the U.S. Senate, Bayh co-authored and sponsored the federal Title IX Act, created 37 years ago to give women equal opportunities in both sports and academics at public institutions.

The awards banquet begins at 6 p.m. at The Clubhouse at Fields, 1333 Fenbrook Lane, in Bloomington. Hult and Grove also will be recognized during the Hoosier women's basketball game against Illinois in Assembly Hall on Sunday. For more information about the pre-game NGWSD activities, visit https://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/020309aab.html.

Hult, recipient of the School of HPER's 2009 Anita Aldrich Distinguished Alumni Award, is a scholar and activist who helped chart the course of equality for women in intercollegiate sports. As a faculty member at Concordia College in Morehead, Minn., Hult helped establish the Minn-Koda Women's Intercollegiate Conference, one of the few such conferences in its day.

Hult is widely recognized for her diligent behind-the-scenes work in Washington, D.C., for the passage of Title IX. She also is well known for her comprehensive understanding of the history of women's basketball, and her passion for the game, which made her perfectly suited to write the book, A Century of Women's Basketball: From Frailty to Final Four.

Professor emeriti from the University of Maryland and author of scores of articles and book chapters in her field, Hult received her Bachelor of Science from Indiana University in 1954, her Master of Education from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in 1958, and in 1967 earned her doctorate from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. She is in the process of publishing a second book about the history of women's athletics, has served as a consultant to both HBO and ESPN, and is part owner of an athletic and sport consulting firm.

The award is named after Anita Aldrich, former chairperson and interim dean of the School of HPER. The award honors alumni who demonstrate positive influence and contributions in fields related to girls and women's sports, fitness and healthy lifestyles. The award also recognizes outstanding achievements in professional excellence, service to the community and loyalty to IU.

Grove, recipient of the Office for Women's Affairs' 2009 Excellence in Support of Women's Athletics, Health and Wellness Award, is an accomplished athletic trainer, scholar and educator. She serves as associate clinical professor in the Department of Kinesiology and director of the Undergraduate Athletic Training Education Program, both in the School of HPER.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from the University of Montana, Missoula, and a Master of Science in Physical Education from Indiana State University. In 1990, she earned her doctorate in Health and Physical Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia and joined the IU faculty.

Prior to coming to IU, Grove spent the early part of her career as an athletic trainer for women's and men's collegiate sports, serving as head athletic trainer for Eastern Michigan University (1978-1979), Indiana State University (1979-1982) and Westminster College (1988-1980). She was one of a handful of female athletic trainers in the U.S. during that time. Her accomplishments as an athletic trainer were recognized in 2003 when she was inducted into Indiana Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame.

In addition to her academic credentials and training experience, Grove is a dedicated scholar and educator. She has published several articles in peer reviewed journals, and frequently discusses her expertise in athletic training and sports injuries at university events. Grove also is highly involved in professional, university and community service.

Bayh served in the U.S. Senate from 1962 through 1980. During his tenure, he served on the Judiciary Committee, the Appropriations Committee, and the Environment and Public Works Committee. In addition to working for passage of Title IX, he authored the 25th Constitutional Amendment, relating to Presidential and Vice Presidential succession, and the 26th Amendment, which lowered the legal voting age to 18.

The NGWSD was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1986 to honor female athletic achievement and recognize the importance of sports and fitness participation for all girls and women. NGWSD is celebrated in all 50 states with community-based events, award ceremonies and activities honoring the achievements and encouraging participation of girls and women in sports.

For more information about the awards banquet, please contact Diane Buzzell at 812-856-4620 and dbuzzell@indiana.edu. To purchase tickets, which cost $35 per person, please contact her by phone.

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