A tribute to Betty Hicks 1920-2011

Betty Hicks changes women's rights on and off the golf course. Prior to 1972 women were not allowed equal opportunities in sports. Today women are still pursuing equal rights in sports but they have drastically improved in the last century. For hundreds of years it was not acceptable for women to participate in sports. It was seen as immoral and un-lady like. They were seen as not possessing masculine characters. This was seen as improper. In the Victorian Era, 1860-1890, women were supposed to be moral and chaste. They were encouraged to stay in the home and be less active. These qualities continued for many years. They gained more resistance over the years as women empowerment grew. Even during the Victorian Era women began participating in sport and finally leaving the domestic sphere. The Seven Sister colleges like Vassar and Wellesley helped to start the advance of women’s rights especially in a physical way. These colleges helped to illustrates women’s competence in sport. Not only did these colleges help the betterment of women sport in the United States so a few significant women like Babe Didrikson and Betty Hicks.

Babe Didrikson helped in the advancement of women’s around the 1930’s. She helped to disprove the notions of femininity with playing sports. She was a multi sport athlete and helped it be acceptable for women to possess masculine qualities and not be seen as a lesbian or immoral. Another women athlete is Betty Hicks. Betty Hicks was an American professional golfer in the 1940’s and 50’s. She became 1941’s Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, helped found Women’s Professional Golf Association, and the founding players of the LPGA. Just as Babe did, she helped in the advancement of women in sport. She helped to break the barriers of femininity in sport. She also helped the fear of women being labeled as lesbians in sport. She wrote an article in 1979, about the fear of many women being labeled as lesbian just because they participated in sports. These women supposedly possessed masculine qualities just because there career was athletics rather than the household. Betty Hicks deserves recognition for her accomplishments, determination and outspokenness in the progression of women sports. She is just as equal as Babe Didrikson in her accomplishment but not recognized as often. I think Pat Griffin’s blog about her changing sports and recognition she deserves is brilliant. In society we do not value people’s accomplishment unless they become the best in what they do. Even though Betty Hicks was not all star athletes like Babe she helped with the advancement of women which enough to be considered an all star athlete in my book. Anyone that helps in the progression of equal rights for humanity deserves recognition. They deserved being praised especially in the resistance they faced. They are the true hero’s. This is who Betty Hicks was, a hero.