A former Iowa female athletics coach died in December. However, her work continues to inspire.
When Dr. Christine Grant could be described in one word, the word could be “influencer.” And no, this is not the kind of influencer.
“[Grant] influenced decisions, and she influenced behavior,” said Iowa’s deputy director for athletics, COO, and senior women’s administrator Barbara Burke. “She had a profound influence on women’s basketball throughout her career. With her leadership style and compassion, enthusiasm, […], everything that you would like to be able to see in a leader. What better description of an agent of change? these were her traits.”
On December. 31, 2021, Grant was pronounced dead at 85 years old although she might be no longer with us, the legacy she left behind will not be forgotten.
Grant’s journey began as a coach and player in Scottish field hockey, her home country, and Canada before making it to the University of Iowa. At the University of Iowa, Grant earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1969. Invariably sporting the colors of gold and black, Grant went on to get her master’s degree in physical education in the year following. She also obtained a Ph.D. in sports management in 1974. However, it was only the beginning of her journey.
Three years later, Grant broke barriers by becoming the first director of intercollegiate women’s athletics. She held that post until her retirement in August. 31, 2000.
Former Hawkeye was an essential player in implementing Title IX. This federal legislation was passed in 1972, which stipulated equal opportunity in both education and sports within the Iowa athletic department. In her time as Director, Grant established a successful athletics program while also speaking about the issue of gender equal rights in sport. Grant was also a consultant to the Civil Rights Title IX Task Force. Following Grant’s retirement, Iowa joined the women’s and men’s athletic teams into one.
“[Grant] created lifelong friendships with individuals that could help advance girls and women in sports,” Burke stated. “I think that she set the path to follow for her and women like me. Generations of leaders from her generation created an opportunity for the next generation of leaders, and hopefully, we’re creating a pathway for the new generation. She was among the extremely influential people in the promotion and service of females and girls in sport.”
As a result of this determination, Grant’s influence was felt far beyond her role on the Hawkeye campus and even beyond the Big Ten conference. Alongside her role being an AD, Grant was also an original participant in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and served as president-elect, president, and president-elect from 1979 until ’82.
Following her stint with AIAW, she joined the AIAW, Grant went on to be a member of the director’s board of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA)–now Women Leaders in College Sports -between 1984 and 1987, and was elected president in the year following. Grant was also chair of the NACWAA’s Committee on Gender Equality.
Grant’s fight for justice didn’t end there. Grant was on the NCAA Special Committee to review the NCAA Membership Structure (1988-90) and in the NCAA Special Committee on Assessing the needs of female student-athletes (1993-94) and the NCAA Committee on Committees (1993-96).
Grant was serving on the NCAA Cabinet on Academics/Eligibility and Compliance and the NCAA Subcommittee on Amateurism and Agents until her retirement in 2000. The improvements Grant made to the female college athletics scene made her eligible for a place in the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
Grant did many things throughout her tenure at Iowa, and afterward her departure, she had an enormous impact on Iowa’s head coach for women’s basketball Lisa Bluder.
“[Grant] hired me, so she got me on this path at Iowa, but it’s a lot more than that,” Bluder stated. “She was my teacher; she was my role model. She helped me think differently. While I was always aware of inequality, she showed me to stand in a room, take a different approach to listen with a different set, look to the subtle differences that people were discussing and find the courage to speak up about them. Therefore, I am very grateful to my doctor. Grant for helping me discover my values.”
Although Grant has passed away, many like Bluder and Burke are determined to preserve her legacy by fighting to ensure gender parity in all fields of sports and beyond.
“She will be greatly missed,” Burke declared. “The way we can remember her best is to keep the efforts going forward in her honor and her memory.”