| UTM pioneer Giles lauded | | Posted: Tuesday, June 18, 2013 7:00 pm
| The Ohio Valley Conference celebrated the 40th anniversary of Title IX recently with a luncheon at the DoubleTree Hotel in Nashville.
Each of the OVC’s 12-member institutions identified a pioneer in women’s athletics from their school to be honored during the year and celebrated at a home athletic event on their campus with Bettye Giles earning the distinction as UT Martin’s Title IX representative.
Giles was a primary force in beginning the women’s athletic programs at UTM, spending 43 years there before retiring in 1995.
She held joint appointments as an associate professor in the department of physical education and as director of women’s athletics. She also served as the university’s cheerleaders sponsor from 1952-73 and started the women’s tennis program in 1952, serving as coach for eight years.
Giles was instrumental in the development of athletic opportunities for women in Tennessee.
A fixture at many UTM events, Giles’ presence is still evident across Skyhawk athletics. UT Martin’s softball field is named after the innovator and each year the school’s top female athlete is presented an award in Giles’ honor.
Last year, a statue of Giles — along with UT Martin female pioneers Nadine Gearin and Pat Head Summitt — was unveiled outside of the Elam Center.
Also attending the event was OVC pioneers Teresa Phillips of Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech’s Marynell Meadors, Belmont’s Betty Wiseman, SEMO’s Missouri’s Dr. Kala Stroup, Morehead State’s Laradean Brown, Murray State’s Margaret Simmons and Austin Peay’s Cheryl Holt.
Published in The Messenger 6.18.13 | | | | |
