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TITLE IX AT 50 TITLE IX AT 50

E ST ABLISHED 1972
TITLE IX

AT 50

“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.”

In 1972, those words became legislation— The dream of competing, representing your school, and ultimately winning a state title drives thousands
and all state associations in the nation were of Hoosier student-athletes. The Forest Park girls basketball team capitalized on that dream and the
presented with an opportunity to grow: To opportunity to compete by winning the Class 2A Championship.
welcome females into the second classroom
so that they too could better themselves and
their futures as student-athletes empowered
by an education-based athletics curriculum. The Architects of Title IX

In our state, we capitalized on the Title IX is a federal law, and as such, it
opportunity and ran with it. In fact—and we extends to all states and provinces. However,
say this humbly: We helped set the pace. if it weren’t for one Hoosier in particular,
the hallmark aspects of Title IX may not
have been written into law anywhere.
When Title IX was passed in 1972, there were only
3,877 female student-athletes that participated While former US Representatives
in Indiana high school sports. 50 years later, that Patsy T. Mink and Edith Green are
number has increased to over 64,000. credited with spearheading Title IX,
former Indiana US Senator Birch Bayh’s
contributions are historically recognized
as significant, as he was a major sponsor
of the legislation in Congress.

In 2017, two years before his death, the
Senator reminisced on what Title IX
meant to him personally, calling it the
most remarkable thing he ever did.

“I knew the need for it, but I could not have Indiana Senator Birch Bayh, known as the “Father
anticipated how wonderfully it would have of Title IX,” helped shape the future of educa-
turned out,” he said. “I had no idea what it tion-based athletics by championing the federal
would mean for girls and women in sports.” education amendments of 1972.

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