On June 23rd in 1972, a law went into effect that would change the landscape of colleges all over the country.
Title IX states, “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.”
The person we have to thank for this law is Birch Bayh, who was an Indiana University alumnus and an Indiana senator. The person that pushed Bayh to pass the law was his wife, Marvella Bayh.
Marvella was the first girl at her high school to be elected president of the student body, which was just one instance where she was a pioneer.
Known as the “secret weapon” of Title IX, Marvella would sit down with her husband and talk about the things she believed in, and he would listen.
She passed away in 1979 without ever seeing the impact Title IX had, but 50 years later, women are still reaping the benefits it brings.
IU professor and first woman Chair of Informatics, Katie Siek, talks about how she was personally impacted by Title IX, and how it helps women in the classroom.
Katie Siek played collegiate athletics and so did her mother. The difference was, her mother had to get changed in a broom closet, while Siek got to change in a locker room.
She credits that to Title IX, as well as seeing women instructors when she was in college. Seeing women in those roles pushed her to want to be in the same position, which prompted her to become the first woman to be Chair of Informatics at Indiana in 2020.
Representation is important, and IU softball head coach Shonda Stanton agrees with that.
One way the IU softball team implements the “if you see her, you can be her” mentality is with their Lil’ Sis Program.
This program allows girls from ages 1-6 to have an IU softball player be there mentor, role model and friend. This program is all about growing the game, and showing girls at a young age that they can follow their dreams.
Throughout the year, Indiana will continue to celebrate the influences that Title IX has had, while also getting to say someone from this school and state implemented a law that transformed the lives of women all over the country.
IU softball head coach, Shonda Stanton, talks about the importance of Title IX for women athletes.
