Hall of Fame
During a nearly 40-year career at WSU, including serving as women’s athletic director from 1965-82, Joanne Washburn presided over unparalleled growth of the women’s athletics program. During her time as women’s athletic director, the women’s athletic program grew to 12 teams and included eight sports: volleyball, basketball, field hockey, skiing, tennis, track & field, gymnastics and swimming. Additionally, the budget grew from a mere $2,000 to eclipsing $1 million. Teams and individuals represented WSU in all sports at the regional level and as national competitions were developed, WSU qualified individuals and teams as well. During Washburn’s tenure, the school was a charter member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). In addition to serving as a WSU Athletics administrator, Washburn coached at the school, and had a distinguished career as an instructor and professor for the school’s physical education department.
