Interview with MaryAnne Simmons, March 3, 2021

Partial Transcript: My name's Valerie Still. I'm conducting an interview with MaryAnne Simmons on March 3, 2021 for the UK Women's Basketball Oral History Project for the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: MaryAnne Daughaday Simmons is introduced. She gives a brief overview of her background, family, career, and her history with the University of Kentucky women's basketball team.

Keywords: 1968-1970 (Years at University of Kentucky); Age; Anniversary; Banned; Club sports; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Gender; Gender discrimination; Married; MaryAnne Daughaday Simmons; Mayfield (Ky.); Pharmacy; Pre-Title IX; Precursors; Sex discrimination; Steve Simmons; Tennis; Varsity sports

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Discrimination in sports; Sexism.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: But first, before we get to you being at UK, just tell us a little bit about your childhood.

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about her father's death when she was a baby, and subsequently her mother's hard work to keep the family going. She talks about the lack of sports for girls during her childhood and how she played sports with the boys in the neighborhood. She talks about her brothers' careers and how one of her mother's jobs led to Simmons beginning to play tennis. She talks about teaching herself to play tennis by reading a book and practicing in front of a mirror and tells the story of what happened when she went to her first tennis lesson.

Keywords: "Flies and grounders"; "How to teach tennis"; Beginners; Boys; Brothers; Charles Daughaday; Death; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Family; Father figures; Fathers; Gender; Gender discrimination; Girls sports; Girls tournaments; Hand-eye coordination; High schools; Jobs; John Daughaday; Judges; Kennedy Bookstore; Mary Elizabeth Daughaday; Mayfield High School; Most Athletic; Mothers; Neighborhoods; Parks and recreation; PhDs; Pharmacy; Respect; Self-taught; Sex discrimination; Tennis instructors; Tennis lessons; Tennis professionals; Tennis rackets; Tennis strokes; Tennis swings; Trading stamps; University of Kentucky; Work ethic

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Childhood; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics); Discrimination in sports; Families.; Sexism.; Tennis coaches; Tennis for children; Tennis for girls; Tennis players.; Tennis.; Women basketball players

Partial Transcript: And at that point it's pre-Title IX so there's no opportunities at universities as far as scholarships.

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about why she chose the University of Kentucky over other schools in Western Kentucky. She talks about playing basketball in the ill-equipped Buell Armory, and the girls dormitories and the campus cafeteria.

Keywords: 1968; Adolph Rupp; Arrival; Blazer Hall; Brothers; Buell Armory; Cars; Claude Sullivan; Dorms; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Gender; Gender discrimination; Girls dormitories; Holmes Hall; John Daughaday; Murray State University; Pharmacy; Sex discrimination; Social life; Steve Simmons; Western Kentucky University

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College athletes; College choice; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Discrimination in sports; Sexism.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: So many times we were playing, you know, the local people in the club sports.

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about playing club sports at the University of Kentucky before Title IX. She talks about their low-quality facilities and how there was very little funding. She talks about the players' dedicated mentality despite these circumstances. She talks about riding in station wagons to away games, not having any money for meals, and the attitudes of the men's basketball program when newspapers would write articles about the women's team.

Keywords: Adolph Rupp; Alumni Gym; Attitudes; Away games; Basketball shoes; Cafeterias; Campus Recreation Department; Championships; Changes; Club sports; Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (CIAW); Costs; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Food; Gender; Gender discrimination; Governing body; Graduate assistants; Kentucky Kernel (newspaper); Local; Media coverage; Mentality; Money; Newspaper articles; Opponents; Overnights; Per diem; Persistence; Practices; Press; Privileges; Purdue University; Recognition; Running; Sex discrimination; Station wagons; Sue Feamster; Sweaters; Title IX; Transportation; Tryouts

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Discrimination in sports; Sexism.; Tennis players.; Tennis.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: And so, um, what position did you play MaryAnne?

Segment Synopsis: Simmons names some of her teammates on the University of Kentucky women's basketball team. She talks about their coaches, Sue Tussey and Barbara Call.

Keywords: Barbara Call; Basketball positions; Forwards (Basketball position); Fun; Hard work; Husbands; In touch; Reunions; Steve Simmons; Sue Feamster; Sue Tussey; Teammates

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: You know, uh, one of the things that I find--and, and I, I realize why this has happened...

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about how she feels about no records being kept of the women's basketball team until the 1970s. She talks about how there are no photos of her playing basketball at UK. She talks about whether the players were aware of the discrepancies between how the men's and women's teams were treated by the university. She talks more about the low-quality facilities the women had to play in.

Keywords: Alumni Gym; Awareness; Buell Armory; Club sports; Daughters; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Gender; Gender discrimination; Influences; Kelly Beth Simmons; Lost; Men; Photographs; Recognition; Records; Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC); Scholarships; Sex discrimination; Statistics; Strenuous; Team names; Tennis; Volleyball; Women's gym

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College administrators; College athletes; College facilities.; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Discrimination in sports; Sexism.; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Finance; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: So MaryAnne, how competitive--'cause I know before like '74, '75, '76, the, the, the women that are governing women's sports are kind of in conflict about how much competition they want.

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks more about the players' dedicated mentality despite their circumstances. She talks about balancing her academics as a pre-pharmacy student with her athletics. She talks about social life on campus.

Keywords: Academics; Competitive; Dances; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Gender; Gender discrimination; K-Lair; Opponents; Play days; Practices; Pre-pharmacy; Purdue University; Sex discrimination; Social life; Studying; Tolly-Ho; Tutoring

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College athletes; College majors; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Conduct of life.; College students--Social conditions; Discrimination in sports; Sexism.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: But anyway, um, I like to bring up names because--

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about some of her teammates on the University of Kentucky women's tennis team. She briefly talks about integration in sports. She talks more about riding in station wagons to away games.

Keywords: Brenda Brown; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Gender; Gender discrimination; Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs); Jane Foster; Knee injuries; Segregated; Sex discrimination; Sports leagues; Station wagons; Sue Feamster; Tallahassee (Fla.); Teammates

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College athletes; College facilities.; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Discrimination in sports; Sexism.; Tennis players.; Tennis.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: So by 1970 you are finishing up your pre-pharmacy.

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about finishing her pharmacy degree, getting married, and her husband being drafted for the Vietnam War. She talks about his work as a teacher and coach after he returned.

Keywords: 1970; Careers; Draft exemptions; Grades; Kent State University; Military draft; Pharmacists; Pharmacy; Pharmacy schools; Protests; Speaking engagements; Steve Simmons; Teachers; Tom Payne

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches; Basketball coaches--Kentucky; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics); Marriage; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Women--Employment.

Partial Transcript: Hey MaryAnne, I just remembered, the, the name of that tennis association, it was called American Tennis Association.

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about how her life may have been different if Title IX had existed when she was in school. She talks about how women's sports have changed since Title IX.

Keywords: African American women; American Tennis Association; Awareness; Changes; Differences; Disconnected; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Gender; Gender discrimination; High schools; Men's basketball; Opportunities; People of color; Sex discrimination; Tennis professionals; Title IX; Women of color

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Discrimination in sports; Sexism.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: I, I got connected somehow because we started the booster club.

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about the creation of the Lady Kats Booster Club in 1980. The program was designed to help raise funds for the women's basketball team. She talks about how the booster club was forced to disband due to new NCAA rules. Simmons talks about another program, the Lady Kats Sponsors, in which local families would "adopt" a women's basketball player to give them a family connection in Lexington, and to support them throughout their college career. Simmons' family was the sponsor for the interviewer of this oral history, Valerie Still. They discuss their relationship when Still was in college and how it has continued through today and tell stories of their time together. They discuss the benefits of the Lady Kats Sponsors program.

Keywords: 1980; 1981; 1982; Assistant coaches; Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW); Booster clubs; Coloring books; Connections; Corruption; Differences; Dottie Berry; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Family; Fun; Fundraising; Gender; Gender discrimination; History; Karen Mosley; Kelly Beth Simmons; Lady Kats Booster Club; Lady Kats Sponsors; Leaving; Media coverage; Mothers; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); Newspapers; Old Dominion University; Precursors; Race; Racial barriers; Recruitment; Relationships; Rules; SEC Championship; Sex discrimination; Steve Simmons; Sue Feamster; Support; Support systems; Surrogate families; Surrogate parents; Transitions; University of Tennessee; Valerie Still; Violations

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College athletes; College athletes--Recruiting; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Discrimination in sports; Families.; Sexism.; Universities and colleges--Finance; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: But MaryAnne, so you all stayed after we--after I left--I left in '83 and the NCAA came in and disband that.

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about how she continues to follow the University of Kentucky women's basketball program. She talks briefly about meeting Pat Head Summitt.

Keywords: Connections; Disbanded; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Games; Gender; Gender discrimination; Highest paid female speakers; Lady Kats Booster Club; Mickie DeMoss; Pat Head Summitt; Real estate; Remembering; Sex discrimination

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball coaches; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; Basketball--Coaching; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics); College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Discrimination in sports; Sexism.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: MaryAnne, how did your experience of being a women's basketball player at UK, I know it's pre-Title IX and pre-varsity...

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about how her participation in the University of Kentucky women's basketball team influenced her life. She talks about the positive impact of sports on children. She talks about her own daughter's experience with sports.

Keywords: Awareness; Benefits; Character building; Discipline; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Gender; Gender discrimination; Girls sports; Grades; Hard work; Health; Impact; Influences; Jobs; Kelly Beth Simmons; Lexington Christian Academy; Mothers; Multi-tasking; Non-profit organizations; Parents; Pressure; Recognition; Scholarships; Sex discrimination; Work ethic

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Discrimination in sports; Sexism.; Sports for children.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)

Partial Transcript: And you know MaryAnne, it's not just about sports.

Segment Synopsis: Simmons talks about the celebration organized to honor the 1982 SEC Championship team, who had previously not been recognized. She talks about the impact of both the University of Kentucky women's basketball team and the Lady Kats Sponsors on her life. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: 1982 SEC Champions; Appreciation; Blessings; Bonds; Championship rings; Changes; Equal treatment standards; Equality; Equality of opportunity; Equity in athletics; Family; Gender; Gender discrimination; Giving; Impact; Lady Kats Booster Club; Lady Kats Sponsors; Love; Memories; Oppression; Passion; Records; Relationships; Religion; Reunions; Self-taught; Serving; Sex discrimination; Sponsors; Steve Simmons; Success; Sue Feamster; Support; Support systems; Surrogate families; Surrogate parents; Tennis; Terry Hall; Thanks

Subjects: Basketball; Basketball players; Basketball players--Kentucky; Basketball teams; College athletes; College sports--Kentucky; College sports.; Discrimination in sports; Families.; Sexism.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball; Women basketball players; Women in higher education.; Women--Education (Higher)