WELCH, Betty L. (THOMAS)

THOMAS, WELCH

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/31/2016 at 13:40:38

Biography ~ Betty L. (Thomas) Welch Graceland University

Betty L. (Thomas) Welch was born in Independence, Missouri, on August 28, 1928.
A member of Graceland's class of 1948, Betty received her B.S. from the University of Kansas (1951) and her M.S. in physical education from the University of Colorado. Betty was the only woman in the college's athletic department when she joined Graceland's faculty to teach physical education in 1959.

From the beginning, Betty's main concern was to develop a good women's athletic program for Graceland students. She started achieving this goal through informal programs with no budget, devoting her personal time to take small groups of women to compete in events at other schools. Betty initiated the addition of women's basketball, volleyball, track, field hockey, tennis and softball to the varsity status at Graceland.

"Getting women's athletics developed was a real struggle," Betty said. She admitted that she "often did things without permission" in order to accommodate the growth of women's sports at Graceland. She was the only coach during the 16 seasons that field hockey existed at Graceland, guiding her teams to several state and regional championships. She also became the first woman to chair the Division of Health, Education and Physical Education at Graceland.

Betty retired as professor emerita in 1985, the same year she became the first woman inducted into the Yellowjacket Athletic Hall of Fame.

Betty eventually moved to Sun City, Arizona.

~ ~ ~ ~

Horizons, Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa

Homecoming 2015 was absolutely superb and we don't mind saying so! Among the highlights from the weekend:

Graceland welcomed back the legendary Betty Welch to campus. It was great to reconnect with the woman who put Graceland women's athletics on the map.

SOURCE: Goehner, David. “The Graceland College Book of Knowledge: From A To Z.” Pp. 445-46. Herald House. Independence MO. 1997.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2016

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