Women's Athletic Association

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In 1905, the Women’s Athletic Association (WAA) was founded to unify women’s athletics and promote interest in sports among women at the University of Michigan.[1] Because there were no varsity sports available to women at the university, club sports managed by the WAA—a student-run organization with a faculty advisor—remained the norm until a requirement for women’s varsity athletics was passed under federal Title IX legislation in the 1970s.[2] This meant the majority of athletic activities and competitions took place within the university rather than with students of other colleges in intercollegiate competitions.



[1] Gladys Appelt, “The History of the Women’s Athletic Association,” 1928, Women’s Athletic Association 1926-1928, Box 1, Women’s Athletic Association (University of Michigan) Records 1905-1962, University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library, Ann Arbor, MI.

[2] Letter from Marie Hartwig to Beth Broach, Nov 20, 1944, Michigan Women’s Athletic Association 1939-1954, Box 1, Marie D. Hartwig Papers 1927-1988, University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library, Ann Arbor, MI.

Women's Athletic Association