Brown University's first Athletic association was founded in 1875 to organize field days. In 1886 the New England Intercollegiate Athletic Association was organized and Brown began to send representatives to the meets. In the early 1900s, shortly after the founding of Pembroke College, the women's college in Brown University, women engaged in Basketball, bowling, field hockey, and tennis. Class teams vied for the college championship in basketball and bowling, and there was a college tennis tournament. In 1905 the newly organized Pembroke Athletic Association awarded six "BW" letters to women athletes. Baseball was played by the women as early as 1920. An apparatus team was added in 1924, and a pyramid squad in 1925. There was a swim team in 1924-25. In 1929 an "honorary" varsity field-ball team was selected. Field hockey was reintroduced in 1930. In the 1930s fencing and lacrosse became popular. Pembroke's athletic program was further expanded in 1934-35, when a modern dance group was formed, the first annual riding meet was held at Royal Riding School in Seekonk, and an intercollegiate telegraphic archery tournament took place, at which each college competed on its own premises and telegraphed its members' scores. In 1935 Pembroke students were allowed to play golf at Wannamoisett Country Club.
In 1971, Pembroke College merged with Brown University officially making Brown a coeducational university. women's intercollegiate athletics, which had been funded as a student activity, began to share in the funds for all University athletic programs in 1973-74, following the Title IX legislation of the Educational Amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1972, and fifteen varsity level women's teams were established.
[This note was partially taken from Encyclopedia Brunoniana]
The Brown University women's athletic ephemera dates from 1970-1979 and contains calendars, booklets, pamphlets, a poster, and a t-shirt, for women's intercollegiate basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, softball, swimming, and tennis. This collection is arranged into 1 series alphabetically by record type.
All researchers seeking to publish materials from the collections of the John Hay Library are requested to complete a Notice of Intent to Publish, prior to reproducing, quoting, or otherwise publishing any portion or extract from this collection. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Brown University women's athletic ephemera, Ms.2019.014, Box [#], Folder [#], Pembroke Center Archives, John Hay Library, Brown University.
This collection is arranged into 1 series alphabetically by record type.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Gift of Lynn Johnson in 2018.
This collection was part of the Pembroke Center's Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive until 2024 when collections were recataloged. All collections previously grouped under that title are now searchable under the subject headings "Women and Gender at Brown University" or "Feminist Activism in Rhode Island."