[SERIES]

Mink championed the
cause by sponsoring bill

» No more skirting the issue
» There was never a time I wasn't allowed

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By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.com

The intent to equalize things was there. But no one, not even the co-author of Title IX, imagined the impact it would have.

All Patsy Takemoto Mink knew was that she had been a victim of discrimination, both gender and racial. And she wanted the bias, particularly at the educational level, to end.

It wasn't designed to focus on athletics. It was a continued commitment to improve the quality of education through equal access to opportunities.

"I first came to Congress in 1964 and, from Day 1, I have served on the education committee," said Mink, who has served in the House for 24 years (1965-77, 1990-present). "I've been on that same committee that entire time.

"The topics of interest in the beginning were the passage of the first federal aid to elementary and secondary education facilities. That was historic. Then there was the passing of the higher education financial support."

That's where Title IX came in, in the form of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972. Her committee started asking questions of the educators who came to testify.

"Are the level of support for the boys and girls the same?

"Are we creating a divided society?

"Are we nurturing equal opportunity?

"We had inquiries about the books in the schools," Mink said. "You remember the 'See Johnny Run' books. Our own research said that books showed all little boys and girls were white and the girls all wore skirts. The absence of diversity of race was very apparent. That's how we got into equity.

"Then we questioned the balances in girls' education. That's where we got into disparity."

Mink knew first-hand about discrimination in education. She had wanted to go to medical school but was turned down based on her gender.

"They didn't hide the fact they were total against admitting women," Mink said. "They put it in writing, they were that blatant.

"We had all this federal funding for grants and yet only 4 percent of the medical students were women. The gaps were developing. It became quite evident that we had to put in a provision where if you receive federal money, you have to make sure the programs are offered equally to men and women."

The first target was government money distribution, particularly with New York City's governing of fellowships. These were public scholarships that were not being made available to women.

"We questioned the constitutionality of it," she said. "Since we (the federal government) provided the money, then we had to put in the proviso that there had to be equity when accepting federal moneys.

"I never anticipated that all this would happen. It was a deep-down wish that it would make a difference at some point, but you began seeing changes within two to three years."

Mink said she isn't much of a sports fan but has gone to a few WNBA games in Washington, D.C.

"I played basketball in high school," said the 1944 Maui High graduate. "But that was back when it was a half-court game because they said it was too strenuous for us. I was a 5-foot-1 forward back then.

"When I was at UH (Class of 1948), I did join the tennis team. I wasn't very good except in my mind but I enjoy it. The last time I played tennis was when I was in the local legislature."

That's when Mink, a state senator for five years, had an early taste of the discrimination in athletics. She was pushing for tennis courts in her district, which included Waipahu.

"The legislature didn't want to appropriate the money," she said, "because 'People in Waipahu don't play tennis.' That was such an elitist thinking.

"But I'll tell you, the minute we built those tennis courts, they were so crowded that I couldn't get playing time."

Title IX may have been on the books for 30 years, but that doesn't mean that it is immune from attacks. In January, the National Wrestling Coaches Association filed suit in federal court against the Department of Education, claiming its enforcement of Title IX was reverse discrimination, leading colleges to eliminate "minor" or non-revenue men's sports (e.g. wrestling) to accommodate women's programs.

Several weeks ago, the Bush Administration asked for a dismissal of the lawsuit on technical grounds, but failed to express support for Title IX.

"We still have much education to do," said Mink. "We need to make it known that this is not a given. It was a law enacted by Congress, a protection provided by law. It could be changed.

"Title IX didn't just happen. It was a series of events between 1964 and 1972 that culminated in the Education Amendments Act of 1972. Title IX was just a part of that amendment, but it has made a world of change."

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Milestones in women's sports history
on the mainland and in Hawaii

1972

Donnis Thompson hired as first UH women's athletics director (part-time). Wahine field first intercollegiate teams in volleyball and track and field.

June 23, 1972

Title IX is signed into law by President Richard Nixon, eliminating gender discrimination in education.

Sept. 20, 1973

Billy Jean King, shown at left, defeats Bobby Riggs in their made-for-TV "Battle of the sexes" tennis match.

1974

Wahine volleyball team finishes second in its first national championship tournament (AIAW).

July 21, 1975

President Gerald Ford signs an amendment to the original Title IX legislation, specifically prohibiting sex discrimination in athletics.

1976

Lawsuit filed with the national DOE office, claiming UH is not in compliance with Title IX for women's athletics. UH settled, promising to implement a three-year gender equity plan.

1977

UH hosts its first women's national championship, the AIAW golf national tournament. BYU-Hawaii adds women's volleyball. The first state tournament for girls basketball and softball held.

May 29, 1977

Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman driver in the Indianapolis 500.

1979

Hawaii-Hilo wins the first national title for the islands in women's volleyball in Florida; several hours later, the Wahine duplicate the feat in Illinois.

First official Na Wahine O Ke Kai, women's Molokai-to-Oahu race.

1981

Hawaii hires Dave Shoji as the first full-time women's coach as the Wahine program moves from AIAW to NCAA.

With a choice of playing in the AIAW and NCAA Tournaments, Hawaii-Hilo does both to capture dual volleyball titles. The Vulcans have won seven volleyball championships.

1982

Girls soccer holds first state tournament.

1982-83

The Wahine win two NCAA volleyball titles. Deitre Collins wins Broderick Cup as top female collegiate athlete.

1987

Wahine volleyball program wins its fourth national title. Teee Williams wins second Player of the Year Award.

1989-90

All-American Judy Mosley leads the Wahine basketball team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

1994

Wahine soccer is added. The athletic department unveils its "If You Let Us Play" gender equity plan.

First girls state golf tournament.

June 21, 1997

In the first WNBA game, the New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 67-57.

1999

Girls state wrestling tournament added.

July 10, 1999

A record crowd of 90,185 packs the Rose Bowl to watch the U.S. women defeat China in the final of the Women's World Cup.

Oct. 13, 2000

Tennessee Lady Vols coach Pat Summit -- second in college basketballs championships with six, behind only John Wooden's 10 -- is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

2001

Wahine volleyball welcomes its millionth fan after eight seasons in the Stan Sheriff Center.