Movement in the Right Direction

I t's hard to believe how much our society has changed in 40 years! It's harder to believe some of the things that were condoned back then and the justification given for those policies. 1972 was the year Title IX was passed by Congress. It reads: " No person in the US shall on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal assistance. " This federal law was the first to prohibit sex discrimination in educational institutions. Most of us are familiar with the effects of Title IX on high school and collegiate athletics. Surprisingly, the law was written with athletic issues secondary to the issue of educational access. It's interesting and worthwhile to review how the law came about. The father of Title IX legislation was Birch Bayh, the colorful hog farmer and former senator from Indiana. Senator Bayh was moved to action by the story of Marvella Hern, the daughter of an Oklahoma wheat farmer. Marvella was denied admission to the University of Virginia in 1951 despite being her class president, a straight-A student, and a national speech champion. Most disturbing was the rejection letter that Marvella received, which read: " Women need not apply. " 1 Senator Bayh got to know that talented young lady well because he married her and subsequently told that story on multiple occasions. Despite the law's enactment, it took nearly 3 years to write the enforcement regulations, which were finally signed by President Gerald R. Ford in 1975. The fact that President Ford was the one to sign the regulations is a story in itself. President Ford played football at the University of Michigan and deeply cherished the game and his own career on the gridiron. Prior to signing the regulations into law, President Ford was lobbied very hard by then-NCAA president Walter Byers, along with legendary football coach Paul " Bear " Bryant and Notre Dame athletic director Ed " Moose " Kraus. They all claimed that Title IX would destroy college football. 1 President Ford did not buy their arguments and wisely signed the regulations into law. Evidence that when faced by the likes of Alabama or Notre Dame, Wolverines usually get it right! The effects of Title IX on higher education have been mind-boggling. In 1972, only 10% of the …