Legacy of the Blues: a Century of Athletics at the W

A Century of Athletics at the W

Mississippi University for Women was a pioneer in the Southeast Region as well as the State of Mississippi in encouraging, promoting, and sponsoring intercollegiate athletics for women. The programs were always of the highest quality and conducted with integrity. The students and coaches involved were dedicated and committed to their respective sport. Loss of the Physical Education Assembly Building, destroyed by a tornado in 2002, and the subsequent decision (2003) by the university to cease participation in intercollegiate athletics prompted the writing of this book. Physical resources and historical records had been destroyed. Concern that the knowledge of this program would be lost along with its signifi cance to the university alumnae, and womens sport history, challenged five retired Health and Kinesiology faculty members to write this book. They knew that their collective knowledge and experiences were invaluable in recording a century of athletic competition at the W. These women promoted the educational model of sport believing that the opportunity to participate in sports brings both value and pleasure to the quality of life.