USC Women of Troy: A Six-Month Celebration of The 50th Anniversary of Title IX

Title IX:
"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
U.S Department of Education – Office of Civil Rights. (August, 2021).
Title IX and Sex Discrimination (https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html)

LOS ANGELES — The USC Trojan Family proudly announces a six-month celebration of the 1972 enactment of Title IX. This landmark amendment to the U.S. Constitution represents a milestone toward granting women their long overdue equal status in the nation's educational institutions.

We kick off this celebration with quotes from the first woman hired as a senior administrator in the Trojan Athletic Department. A figurehead in USC's history, Barbara Hedges later earned the title of USC Senior Associate Director of Athletics.

In a recent interview with USC Associate Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Julie Rousseau, Hedges recalled from her hiring in 1973, "It was very clear that there were things that had to change with regard to student-athletes… USC was on the very forefront of making a decision to provide these opportunities for women… I have such incredible memories of the women of all colors and ethnicities that had the first opportunity to actually be on scholarship. It was a very exciting time. It was such a time of growth. Every year it got better."

On the ninth day of each month from January to June 2022, Trojan Athletics will conduct a six-month campaign retelling the stories of many women who contributed to the rich history associated with the Women of Troy. During this campaign, not only will we feature the many conference and national championships won by our USC women, but we intend to tell personal stories about the Women of Troy and their accomplishments in the past 50 years.

Each month will highlight a different decade, culminating in a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX on June 23, 2022. At that event we will feature a glimpse into the future of the Women of Troy.

"We are excited to celebrate the profound impact of Title IX on college athletics since its enactment in 1972," USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn said. "This critical piece of legislation, and the tenacity and fearlessness of our female leaders over the past 50 years, is something we are extremely proud of. During the next six months, we will salute and honor the Women of Troy's lasting legacy at USC and beyond as they continue to set records and positively shape the trajectory of college athletics.

"We are fully committed to creating an environment for our female student-athletes to reach the highest level of competition and leverage their USC experience into a successful and meaningful life after sport."
The enactment of Title IX profoundly influenced the emergence of female opportunity in America. In Hedges words: "This new era opened up a world of opportunity for women in general, and women in athletics particularly. Without Title IX, we would not be where we are today. There is no question in my mind that the passage of Title IX is one of the most significant pieces of legislation passed by Congress. There have been many others, I realize, but the number of people, women particularly, that were affected by the passage of Title IX, are astounding, and continue to be astounding."

Throughout this six-month period of the Title IX: Women of Troy Campaign, we hope the Trojan Community will follow our @USC_Athletics social media handles and learn about the many women who made indelible contributions to our university as excellent students and athletes. USC Athletics hopes that all of us will be inspired by their stories and acknowledge the sacrifices made to include women in a male-dominated arena.

"In celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, we recognize the opportunities afforded to women in athletics across the country through the enactment of this amendment," USC Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director/SWA Joyce Bell Limbrick said. "Within the Trojan Family, we highlight the legacy, accomplishments and contributions of our great female athletes — the illustrious Women of Troy. From the trailblazing leadership of Barbara Hedges to the individual and team success across each of our sport programs, our current and future Women of Troy stand on the shoulders of the giants that paved the way for them. Our celebration of Title IX honors the Women of Troy for the sacrifice and triumphs they have afforded our athletic department and the USC community."

WOMEN OF TROY ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY THE NUMBERS

National Team Championships — 25

Individual National Championships — 90

First Team Academic All-Americans — 11

Honda Award Winners — 17

University Southern California Trojans

USC Women of Troy: A Six-Month Celebration of The 50th Anniversary of Title IX

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