Ruth Alexander

Alexander was one of the national leaders of the Title IX movement in women’s sports and received the prestigious appointment of Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science during her 36-year career at UF.

As Florida’s first women’s athletics director from 1972-81, she spearheaded a campaign to allow equal opportunities for female athletes to compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, advancing intramural and club sports level to varsity status.