Syracuse University's Renee Baumgartner on Title IX

This is by Renee Baumgartner, Syracuse University deputy athletics director/chief of staff. She played golf for University of Southern California from 1983 to 1987. It is part of a package on the 40th anniversary of Title IX.

I played golf at a very young age, since I was 3 years old.

I was fortunate to win a state championship, the Oregon juniors, and then was offered a college scholarship to several schools and I picked USC in 1983. And I didn?t realize until I graduated that I was somewhat on the cusp of Title IX. I just assumed that everyone got this opportunity before me. And they didn?t.

After I graduated, the University of Oregon was adding women?s golf. So they hired a GA (graduate assistant) position and I was at the right place at the right time. I started the golf team with one scholarship. No Nike contract. We drove to Stanford, which was 12 hours away. I bought their uniforms at a convenience store. They bought their own shorts.

At that time, I had 3 1/2 scholarships and I thought I?d hit the jackpot. But I went back to Oregon and said, ?I need the six.? Six was fully funded. We had no money, and the AD at the time was also the football coach, and he said, ?Renee, I can?t do it.?

USC came knocking, and I said, ?I?m going to go to USC and compete for a national championship.? Needed to finish my Ph.D., so I went back to Oregon. The program had been fully funded by then.

So I feel like I?ve had a great perspective on Title IX, such a great appreciation for it. My hope is that the women of today appreciate what the women of yesterday did for them in setting such a strong foundation. Because it was never easy.

Golf has given me everything: an education; I?ve traveled the world; I?ve gotten to meet incredible people; I have a job. And lessons in golf are lessons in life. It taught you time management, it taught you work ethic. Everything that people deal with in everyday life, the student athlete is living every single day.

More local leaders talk about Title IX:

? Vanessa Bogan, Syracuse City Court judge
? Linda LeMura, Le Moyne College provost and vice-president for academic affairs
? Stephanie Miner, Syracuse mayor
? Ann Rooney, Onondaga County deputy executive for human services

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