The Origins of Women's Athletics at Penn

Led by Margaret Katherine Majer, the Women's Athletic Association was formed in 1921. In it's first year the WAA held intercollegiate competitions in basketball, with plans to compete in gymnastics, softball, swimming and tennis in 1922. Majer both coached and organized competitions for women while four undergraduate student athletes were the officers of the WAA. The founding offers were lead by president Caroline Riggs, secretary Genevieve McDermott, treasurer Georgina Yeatman and manager Mildred Dougherty.

Upsilon Sigma Nu was founded in 1921 as an honorary athletic fraternity. The first class consisted of 15 women who showed unusual merit in college athletics for women, furthering the spirit of sportsmanship.

In the early years, the Women's Athletic Association transitioned their focus from varsity intercollegiate activity to intramural activity with a focus on competition between classes. The philosophy behind this change was "a team for everyone, everyone for a team" with the hope of encouraging more participation by female students. Eventually they returned to focus on intercollegiate competition changing the philosophy to "playing hard, playing fairly and playing to win."

Fun Fact: Margaret Katherine Majer married Olympian John B. Kelly in 1924. She became the mother of two Penn graduates and well known actress Grace Kelly, the Princess of Monaco. Photo courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Archives and Records Center.

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