Since arriving on the Chestertown campus in 1969, Penny J. Fall has played an integral role in the instruction of physical education and the development of women’s athletics at Washington College. With sole responsibility for women’s athletic training, equipment and game management, and scheduling, she has worked long and hard to build the women’s athletic program from the intramural level into a competitive intercollegiate power. In 1984, she was recognized by the Governor of Maryland for her work in achieving greater gender equity in Maryland’s educational institutions during the first decade of the Title IX Educational Amendment, and she has yet to give up the fight. Over the years, she has been responsible for coordinating women’s athletic programs, conducting intramural programs, and coaching the volleyball, softball teams, and women’s tennis teams and the cheerleading squad. She became a full professor in 1992.
Under Penny’s direction the number of women’s varsity sports offerings has grown from zero to nine. Rowing was introduced as the first varsity sport for women in 1974; women’s soccer will be added next fall. It wasn’t until 1980 that the NCAA began sponsoring women’s intercollegiate competition. Since 1985, Washington College’s female athletes have made NCAA Championship appearances and won All-America status in field hockey, swimming and tennis, won a conference championship in tennis, earned conference playoff berths in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, won two conference championships in volleyball, and collected several individual honors and accolades, including an Olympic Gold Medal for rowing!
Penny also pushed to close the gap between the men’s and women’s program resources, calling on the college admininistration to improve the quality of fields, equipment, and the availability of funds for travel and for assistant coaches for women’s teams. Over the past decade, women’s facilities in Cain Gymnasium were improved, and the women’s playing fields have been graded and leveled.
Fall, a native of Pittsfield, MA, received her bachelor of science degree from Sargent College, Boston University and her M.Ed. degree in counseling and education from Boston College.
Washington College is privileged to induct Penny J. Fall into its Athletic Hall of Fame – making her the fifth woman so honored – on this 4th day of October, 1997.
