What about the character of the girls?: Girls and Women’s Basketball in Illinois, 1968-1977

Illinois hosted its first Girls’ State Basketball Tournament in 1977, five years after the U.S. Congress passed the landmark Title IX legislation. Title IX led to an explosion in the growth of women’s sports in the United States, dramatically changing American culture in the process. This collection of oral history interviews chronicles that story and the early struggles for both Illinois girls’ basketball (high school level) and women’s basketball (collegiate level) throughout the country. The twenty-six interviews in this collection were conducted beginning in 2004 by Ellyn Bartges, herself a participant in Illinois’ first tournament in 1977. Ellyn designed the oral history project and conducted the interviews as part of her master’s capstone project at Western Illinois University, under the direction of Dr. Virginia Boynton of the WIU History Department.

In 2010 Ellyn Bartges was interviewed about her own life story and the creation of this oral history collection by Mark R. DePue, Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Oral History program
Interviews
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Biery, Dick
First girls’ basketball coach at Carthage High School in Carthage, Illinois
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Butkovich, Cindy
Former Assistant Executive Secretary of the Illinois High School Association
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Gollan, Linda
First girl's basketball coach at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Illinois
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Hutchinson, Jill
Women's head basketball coach at IL State University
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Kneer, Marian
Supporter and promoter of women's athletics
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Marguis, Gail
Member of the 1976 U.S. Woman’s Olympic Team and teammate and friend of Charlotte Lewis
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Moore, Billie
Former women’s basketball coach for California State-Fullerton, 1976 Olympic Games, and UCLA
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Pankonin, Jean
Former faculty member and women's sports coach at Illinois State University
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Penstone, Ann
Girl’s head basketball coach for Buffalo Grove High School and John Hersey High School in Illinois
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Plodzien, Carol
Girl’s head basketball coach at Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois
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Ramsey, Lorene
Former women's head softball and basketball coach at Illinois Central College
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Scott, Phebe
An advocate for women's athletics who worked at Illinois State University
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Slouber, Lynne
Former girl’s head basketball coach at Hinsdale South High School in Illinois
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Streit, Joan
Former girls' basketball coach at Joliet West High School in Illinois
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Strong, Sue
The girl’s basketball coach at Sterling High School in Sterling, Illinois
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Torry, Ray
Former principal and superintendent of Washington High School in Washington, Illinois
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Warlick, Holly
Associate women’s head basketball coach at the University of Tennessee

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