Since its passage was 40 years ago this year, we would like to focus on Title IX legislation, which had a huge impact on OSU and other universities across the nation.
In 1972 U.S. President Gerald Ford signed legislation that required all schools, colleges and universities receiving federal funding to offer equal educational opportunities for men and women. The institutions had three years to comply with the law, known as Title IX, or lose funding. For Ohio State, this meant significant changes.
Title IX’s initial impact would be felt greatly by the Department of Athletics because the law required not only equal opportunity to play sports, but also equal facilities, travel expenses, scholarships, coaching, tutoring, scheduling, and expenditures. Title IX made one exception in that it never required schools to allow women to play contact sports.
Phyllis Bailey, 1974
Because of the law, 12 women’s sports were added, women’s locker rooms were installed at the French Field House, and a women’s athletics director – Phyllis Bailey – was hired to oversee the women’s programs. Women also received scholarships, were recruited, received priority scheduling for classes and facilities like the men, and could get tutoring, uniforms and help with travel expenses, none of which they had had before Title IX.
Marching Band, 1973
However, organized sports were just one area of student life that was affected. For instance, the OSU Marching Band had to add women to its ranks; Mortar Board, the honorary society for female students, had to allow men to join; and the freshman honoraries for men and women were combined into one co-ed organization.
On the academic side of University life, the impact also was pronounced: OSU and other universities could not discriminate against women in hiring, promotion and tenure. At OSU, a number of grassroots groups for women faculty and staff were founded, which eventually led to the formation in 1996 of a task force to create an organization that would ensure women would be able to succeed and advance at OSU. The Women’s Place was formally founded in 2000, and it still works to improve the climate for women on campus.
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