"No Man's Land"

January 24, 1967, Twin City News-Record

This was the condition of womens' athletics five years before Title IX became a reality.  Begrudging acceptance of a "no mans' land" on selected nights and a condescending attitude towards any interest.  This was the same era when a woman had to sneak into the Boston Marathon to participate and then was hunted down to oust her from the race.   

Title IX, from 1972 said that "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."  This law, coupled with the era's newfound progressive interest in womens' rights led to an evolution and a revolution where the world of womens' athletics for this era compared to today looks positively prehistoric.