UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — June 23, 2022, marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments of 1972.
In recognition of this important milestone, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics and the Gender Equity Center, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs, will host a "Roar & Rally" on Thursday, June 23.
The Roar & Rally will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a one-mile walk starting at the We Are statue on the corner of Curtin Road and University Drive and finishing on the Old Main lawn. A rally will be held on Old Main lawn at 12:05 p.m. During the rally, speakers will celebrate and share their experiences related to Title IX.
Participants can register for the Roar & Rally online. Registration is free and participants who register by June 15 will receive a 50th anniversary of Title IX T-shirt. Participants also will receive rally towels and snacks while supplies last. Check-in for the Roar & Rally opens at 11 a.m. and will take place in the Stadium West parking lot at the corner of University Drive and Curtin Road.
Becca Geiger, assistant director of the Gender Equity Center, noted that the Title IX amendment is only 37 words: "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."
"These 37 words may not seem like much, but their impact has reverberated across institutions and universities in this country," said Geiger. "Those words and their various interpretations have paved the way for equity and access for women and girls, as well as provided a blueprint to promote access for other marginalized communities within the country and university."
"There is truly no proper way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, but we can certainly try to pay homage the 'We Are' way," said Lauren Rhodes, senior associate athletic director. "Thanks to Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour’s vision, staff with Athletics and Student Affairs partnered to bring to life the first ever Roar and Rally. This walk-to-rally event was made possible so all members of our Penn State community could come out and celebrate the 37 words that reshaped higher education and continue to positively impact athletics today. I cannot wait to walk alongside the past, present and future pioneers, legends and champions on June 23, 2022, as we take a moment to celebrate a movement."
While celebrating this historic moment, the Roar & Rally also will launch the Penn State Women's Athletic Endowment to celebrate and support women's athletics at Penn State. Supporters can donate using the Women’s Athletic Endowment Fund’s donation page or by texting 50YEARSTITLEIX to 41444.
The endowment continues Penn State’s legacy of being ahead of the curve nationally in regard to women’s athletics. Penn State began fielding varsity women’s teams eight years prior to the passage of Title IX. Further, as early as 1919, Penn State promoted women’s athletics with the creation of the Women’s Athletic Association (WAA) as the result of student demand as well as the need to oversee the physical education requirements for female students. After construction of a women's athletics facility in 1938, the WAA reorganized as the Women's Recreation Association. It was gradually supplanted by the athletic department of the College of Health and Physical Education, which took over women's intercollegiate teams in 1973-74. To learn more, visit the University Libraries Guide to Women’s Recreation Association Records.