Bucknell athletics was once a combination of tradition and testosterone. Women were relegated to participating in intramurals and special sports days involving swimming, bowling, dancing, basketball and badminton. They were not permitted, however, to use the men's athletic facilities.
Peg Bryan ¿ and Title IX ¿ changed all that. As director of women's athletics, Bryan was responsible for moving women's sports from a social activity to a competitive and successful enterprise. Her boldness, energy and shrewd approach helped usher in a new era for women's athletics at Bucknell.
Bryan negotiated the move from Tustin, the women's gym, to the co-ed Davis Gym, as well as the integration of men's and women's physical education classes. She played a key role in establishing the women's varsity athletics program at Bucknell and organized highly successful intercollegiate competition for women long before the program received formal varsity recognition in 1974.
It seemed like she could do it all, a fact which is acknowledged by the requirements for a female student-athlete to earn the Margaret L. Bryan Athletic Award. The recipient must show excellence while participating in more than one sport in a given year.
Bryan's legacy lies in Bucknell's athletic accessibility and success. Because of her work, the University has built a new tradition of athletic excellence that cultivates the talents of all its students and marginalizes none.