Skip to content
print page header

The University of Iowa Libraries

Guide to the Norma Peg Burke papers

Print this Collection Guide | Email this Collection Guide

Collection Overview
Date Span: 1965-1995
Creator: Burke, Norma Peg (1933-)
Extent: 9.20 linear feet.
Collection Number: IWA0164
Repository: Iowa Women's Archives
Summary: Physical education professor at the University of Iowa and past president of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, 1976-1977.

Arrangement: Abbreviation list:
AAPHER: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation
AAU: Amateur Athletic Union
ABAUSA: Amateur Basketball Association of the United States of America
AIAW: Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
HEW: Health Education and Welfare department (Now Health and Human Services)
ISPEDS: International Sports and Physical Education Data System
IWPS: International Women's Professional Softball
NAGWS: National Association for Girls and Women in Sport
NAIA: National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics
NAPECW: National Association for Physical Education of College Women
NASPE: National Association for Sport and Physical Education
NCAA: National Collegiate Athletic Association
USCSC: United States Collegiate Sports Council
USOC: United States Olympic Committee

Speech titles--Box 20
1973-1974:
"You Are Free if You Choose to Be" (PEMM Club, North Dakota)
"You Can Get East by Sailing West" (AIAW)
"Magic Moments" (Iowa AIAW Basketball Tournament)
"What Are You Saying?" (MAIAW State Meeting)
1975:
"The Impact of Title IX on Athletics Ten Years Hence" (CAPECW)
"Our Changing Image-Women of Today" (PEM Club, Northeast Missouri State)
Untitled (Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio)
"Women's Rights-Are We Willing to Accept the Responsibility?" (Carleton College)
"You Can Get East by Sailing West" (AIAW Delegate Assembly)
"Statement to the Subcommittee on Education of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare"
"Athletic Scholarships for Women-Yes!"
Box 21
1976:
"I Have a Dream" (University of Nebraska, Omaha)
"No Ordinary Person" (Ball State University)
"No Ordinary Person" (Eastern Kentucky University)
"Organizing Community Support" (DePaul Conference of Women in Sport)
"Best of Times, Worst of Times" (President's Summit Conference, Denver)
"AIAW Testimony for the President's Commission on Olympic Sport"
"Women in the System" (Temple University)
1977: "Be the Best That You Can Be" (Luther College, Decorah, Iowa)
"No Ordinary Person" (Wichita State University)
"On Being a Champion" (Georgia State International Women's Year Conference)
"The Issues in Women's Intercollegiates: the Pains and Promises" (Northern Illinois University)
"Is Sport Engulfing Physical Education?" (AAPHER Convention)
"Shall We Amend Title IX to Exempt Physical Education and Athletics?" (SDPHER)
"With Apologies to No One" (TAPHER)
"Promises to Keep and Miles to Go Before We Sleep" (AIAW Delegate Assembly)
1978:
"Pride and Prejudice" (SAPECW)
Untitled (Simpson College)
"Problems Athletics has Caused for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Educators" (IAPHER)
"Title IX-A Woman's View" (American Council of Education)
Untitled (Davenport Community School District)
"Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" (University of Missouri, Columbia)
"In a Race for the Human Race" (Purdue University)
"Women's Sports" (Winthrop College)
"Pros and Cons of Title IX" (University of Alberta)
"Who Are You Susie Softball Player?" (National Softball Championship, Omaha, Nebraska)
1979:
Untitled (NACAC)
"The World Needs Wisdom" (Class of '39 Reunion Dinner)
"Staffing Needs and Dilemmas" (AIAW Athletic Director Workshop)
"Living in a World of Throw Away People" (Cedar Rapids Congregate Meal Group)
"The 80's: We've Only Just Begun-Women's Role" (Marshalltown YWCA)
"Power and Power Plays: Women As Leaders" (Published in Vital Speeches of the Day)
1980:
"Address to ERA Rally" (Iowa City, Iowa)
"Intercollegiate Athletics: Educational Activity or Big Business" (EAPECW)
"The NCAA Governance and Championships Proposals" (Western Michigan University)
Box 22
1981-1982:
"Power, Politics, Preservation, Prognosis in Women's Athletics" (MAPECW)
Untitled (Women's Studies, University of Iowa)
"Since Title IX" (AAPERD National Convention)
"Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio, Sexual Equality and Other Popular Myths" (Northern Illinois University)
"Red Rover Red Rover Let Sarah Come Over" (Beyond Rubies)
1983:
"Women as Leaders Feminism and Sport: Connections and Directions" (University of Iowa)
"Clearing the Obstacles" (Women in Higher Education Administration)
Untitled (Mayor's Club)
1984:
"Politics/It's Everyone's Responsibility" (Phi Upsilon Omicron)
Untitled (Women's Athletic Banquet)
Untitled (Women As Leaders)
1987-1993:
"Dinosaurs, Dodo Birds and Physical Education" (CAPECW)
"Finding Meaning in Life-Love is the Glue"
Undated: "We the People of the United States"
"I Have a Dream"
Untitled
"You Are Free if You Choose to Be"
"True Confessions of a Female Chauvinist"
"Twenty Plus Years Remembered"
"On being a Female in a Male World/On being a Female Physical Educator"
"Rants and Musings [?]"
"Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" (University of Michigan)
"Taking the Checkered Flag" (not used)
Untitled
"AIAW's Concerns and Plans for Improving Communication with High School Coaches in Girls Sports"
Untitled
"Where Do We Go From Here?"
"Women and Sport-We Are Living in Changing Times"
Resource Files Quotes & Humor

Access: The papers are open for research.

Use: Copyright has been transferred to the University of Iowa.

Acquisition: The papers (donor no. 236) were donated by N. Peggy Burke in 1993 and the University of Iowa Department of PE for Women (donor no. 257) in 2006.

Preferred Citation: N. Peggy Burke papers, Iowa Women's Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City.

Repository: Iowa Women's Archives
Address: 100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: 319-335-5068
Curator: Kären Mason
Email: lib-women@uiowa.edu
Website: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa

Norma Peggy Burke (who usually signed her letters as "N. Peggy") served as President of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) from 1976 to 1977. Under her leadership, AIAW influenced issues relating to six-player girl's basketball, Title IX policy interpretation and National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) decisions regarding women's college championships.

Born in Fleming County, Kentucky, Burke taught physical education at the Unitversity of Iowa and chaired the Department of Women's Physical Education and Dance from 1978-1987. Vital Speeches of the Day published a speech written by Burke and she gave a number of addresses and testimonies during her term as AIAW president and tenure with the University of Iowa. In addition, Burke participated in several groups supporting equal rights for women: the National Women's Conference, the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women and the Iowa Coordinating Committee of International Women's Year.

The N. Peggy Burke papers date from 1965 to 1995 and measure 9.2 linear feet. The papers are arranged in four series: Equality in women's athletics, Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), Women's equality and Speeches. The bulk of this collection documents the activities of the AIAW from 1970 to 1995 and chronicles its relationship with the NCAA during this period. Included is a selection of official records of the AIAW from the years 1975 through 1982.

The Equality in women's athletics series (1965-1979) concerns several issues in women's athletics. These include the attempt of the NCAA to take over women's athletics, the implementation of the Title IX policy regarding equality of the sexes in all aspects of education and the movement to modify Iowa high schools' traditional six-player girls' basketball game.

The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was established in 1971 as a unit of the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports (NAGWS) to administer women's collegiate athletics in the United States. NAGWS was a division of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (AAPHER). The AIAW divided the country into nine regions. Executive board members were elected from large and small four year institutions. Junior and community colleges were also represented. Mission and expenses information for the organization can be found in the Long Range Planning Committee folder under the Committees subseries. Statistics on female participation in sports are found throughout the Sports and Topical files subseries.

The AIAW series (1970-1995) consists of ten subseries: Administration, Committees, Executive Board Meetings, Living History Workshop, NCAA/AIAW relations, Presidential files, Publications, Topical files, Sports files and Artifacts. They chronicle the time before, during, and after Burke's service as president of the organization.

The Administration subseries (1974-1995) includes correspondence, memos and information on the structure and proposed changes to the structure of the AIAW.

The Committees subseries (1974-1980) includes correspondence and reports from the committees with which Burke was involved. It, however, does not include material from every committee formed under AIAW.

The semi-annual and special meetings of AIAW's Executive Board are documented in Executive board meetings subseries (1974-1982). It also includes meetings of the AIAW Delegate Assemblies. Reports, motions, agendas and planning correspondence make up the bulk of this subseries.

AIAW held a Living History Workshop and Presidential Review in 1980 at the University of Iowa. The Living History Workshop subseries (1980) consists of speeches and session materials from several past presidents of AIAW and student attendee papers. Burke wrote comments and grades on many of the student papers.

The NCAA and AIAW worked together on many issues, but the relationship turned more contentious in the latter half of AIAW's existence. That's when the NCAA started pushing to administer women's championships themselves. The NCAA/AIAW relations subseries documents the evolving relationship between the two athletic organizations from the inception of AIAW in 1971 to its dissolution in 1982. Related materials can be found in the Delegate Assembly folders in the Executive Board Meeting subseries, especially the folders from 1979-1982.

The Presidential files subseries (1973-1979) contains speeches and correspondence from several of AIAW's presidents, including Burke. For other speeches written by Burke, see the Speeches series in this collection.

The Publications subseries (1972-1979) has official newsletters and pamphlets from the AIAW as well as publications from various schools and organizations that belonged to AIAW.

Issues ranging from homophobia in sports to Big Ten membership to relations with the media are covered in the Topical files subseries (1974-1986). The folder titles are consistent with the original folder titles. Topics give insight into the inner workings of AIAW, including elections, financial aid, and the membership base of the organization.

The Sports files subseries (1975-1979) includes AIAW rules, correspondence and championship information for sports such as badminton, volleyball, and swimming.

The Artifacts subseries includes one zippered pouch with the AIAW logo on it.

The Women's equality series (1975-1979) chronicles Burke's involvement with several women's rights groups, including the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women and the Iowa Coordinating Committee of International Women's Year.

The Speeches series (1973-1993, and undated) includes speeches written and given by Burke at various events, including those related to AIAW and the ERA. Topics range from politics to sport to women's equality. In several speeches, Burke references her childhood in Kentucky and her lifelong love of sport and physical education. The series also contains drafts of the speeches and correspondence regarding events and speaking engagements. Also included is a copy of the Nov. 15, 1979, edition of Vital Speeches of the Day, in which one of Burke's speeches on women's equality appears.
Christine Grant papers (IWA).
Grant was also president of the AIAW and her papers contain information on the organization.
University of Iowa Department of PE for Women records (IWA).
Burke was the chair of the department and also taught there for several years.

Browse by Series:
Series 1: EQUALITY IN WOMEN'S ATHLETICS
Series 2: AIAW
Series 3: WOMEN'S EQUALITY
Series 4: SPEECHES

  • Series 1: EQUALITY IN WOMEN'S ATHLETICS
  • Box 1:
  • AAPHER reports - 1976-1977
  • ACE (American Council on Education) reports - 1978
  • ACE (American Council on Education) notes - 1978
  • NCAA newspaper clippings - 1975-1978
  • NCAA reports - 1975, 1977
  • Women's intercollegiate athletics report - 1975
  • Women's intercollegiate athletics report: NCAA member responses - 1975
  • Women's intercollegiate athletics report: NCAA member responses (folder 2) - 1975
  • Women's intercollegiate athletics report: NCAA non-member responses - 1975
  • Women's intercollegiate athletics report: AIAW responses - 1975
  • NCAA vs. HEW congressional records - 1976
  • NCAA vs. HEW correspondence - 1976
  • NCAA vs. HEW legal records - 1976
  • NCAA vs. HEW memos - 1976
  • NCAA vs. HEW newspaper clippings - 1976
  • NAGWS newspaper clippings - 1973
  • Newspaper clippings - 1975-1978
  • Reports, undated
  • Box 2:
  • Six-player girls' basketball correspondence - 1976-1978
  • Six-player girls' basketball court rulings - 1965, 1976
  • Six-player girls' basketball newsletters - 1976-1978
  • Six-player girls' basketball newspaper clippings - 1974-1978
  • Six-player girls' basketball notes - 1976-1977
  • Six-player girls' basketball reports - 1976-1977
  • Title IX newspaper clippings - 1975
  • Title IX policy interpretation - 1979
  • Title IX sex desegregation, newsletters, undated
  • Title IX sex desegregation, reports - 1978
  • Series 2: AIAW
  • Sub-Series: ADMINISTRATION
  • Box 2:
  • Budget - 1976-1979
  • Bylaws and constitution - 1974
  • Bylaws changes - 1977
  • Correspondence - 1975
  • Correspondence - 1976
  • Correspondence (folder 2) - 1976
  • Correspondence - 1977-1980
  • Box 3:
  • Correspondence - 1981-1995
  • Correspondence, Kay Hutchcraft - 1976-1977
  • Court cases - 1978
  • Governance structure - 1974-1976
  • Governance structure - 1977-1978
  • Memos - 1974-1975
  • Memos - 1977-1978
  • Notes - 1976-1978
  • Reports - 1974-1975
  • Reports - 1977
  • Reports - 1980
  • Restructuring proposal - 1975-1977
  • Sub-Series: COMMITTEES
  • Box 3:
  • Awards - 1976
  • Championships - 1976
  • Credentials - 1977
  • Division and structuring - 1977
  • Box 4:
  • Ethics and eligibility - 1974-1976
  • Ethics and eligibility - 1975-1976
  • Ethics and eligibility - 1977-1978
  • Ethics and eligibility, Title IX - 1974
  • Fiscal - 1976
  • Legal - 1976
  • Long range planning - 1976
  • Long range planning - 1977
  • Men´s athletics - 1977
  • Presidential advisory - 1977
  • Presidential - 1980
  • Professional sports - 1976
  • Recruitment - 1976
  • Resolutions - 1977
  • Rules standards - 1977
  • Small colleges, undated
  • Sports - 1976-1977
  • Sports medicine proposal - 1977
  • Box 5:
  • Title IX athletics subcommittee - 1977-1978
  • Transfer - 1979
  • TV - 1976-1977
  • Sub-Series: EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS
  • Box 5:
  • Delegate Assembly - 1974
  • Delegate Assembly - 1975
  • Delegate Assembly minutes, reports - 1976
  • Delegate Assembly correspondence, memoranda, notes - 1976
  • Delegate Assembly newspaper clippings - 1976
  • Delegate Assembly pamphlets - 1976
  • Delegate Assembly agenda - 1977
  • Delegate Assembly correspondence - 1977
  • Delegate Assembly fact sheets - 1977
  • Delegate Assembly memoranda - 1977
  • Delegate Assembly motions - 1977
  • Delegate Assembly notes - 1977
  • Delegate Assembly reports - 1977
  • Delegate Assembly speeches - 1977
  • Delegate Assembly agenda - 1978
  • Delegate Assembly correspondence, memoranda - 1978
  • Delegate Assembly motions, reports - 1978
  • Box 6:
  • Delegate Assembly minutes, motions - 1979
  • Delegate Assembly president's meeting - 1979
  • Delegate Assembly reports - 1979
  • Delegate Assembly - 1980
  • Delegate Assembly agenda - 1981
  • Delegate Assembly correspondence, elections - 1981
  • Delegate Assembly NCAA governance plan - 1981
  • Delegate Assembly minutes, motions, reports - 1981
  • Delegate Assembly - 1982
  • Spring meeting - 1974
  • Box 7:
  • Spring minutes and notes - 1975
  • Spring reports: Committee, Financial, President´s, Regional - 1975
  • Spring correspondence - 1976
  • Spring memoranda - 1976
  • Spring minutes - 1976
  • Spring motions - 1976
  • Spring notes - 1976
  • Spring reports: Committee, Financial, General - 1976
  • Spring reports: President's, Regional - 1976
  • Spring agenda and notes - 1977
  • Spring correspondence - 1977
  • Spring minutes - 1977
  • Spring motions - 1977
  • Spring Reports: Committee, Financial, NAGWS, President's - 1977
  • Spring meeting - 1979
  • Spring meeting - 1980
  • Spring meeting - 1981
  • Fall correspondence - 1975
  • Fall minutes - 1975
  • Fall reports: Committee, Financial, President´s, Regional - 1975
  • Fall agenda - 1976
  • Fall correspondence - 1976
  • Box 8:
  • Fall memoranda - 1976
  • Fall minutes - 1976
  • Fall motions and notes - 1976
  • Fall reports: Committee, Financial - 1976
  • Fall reports: General - 1976
  • Fall reports: President's, Regional - 1976
  • Fall president´s conference - 1976
  • Fall memoranda and agenda - 1977
  • Fall motions - 1977
  • Fall reports: Committee, Financial - 1977
  • Fall reports: General, NAGWS, President's, Regional - 1977
  • Fall meeting - 1979
  • Fall meeting - 1980
  • Fall meeting - 1981
  • Winter Correspondence - 1976
  • Box 9:
  • Winter President´s conference - 1976
  • Winter President's conference (folder 2) - 1976
  • Winter minutes and motions - 1977
  • Winter reports: Committee, President's, Regional - 1977
  • Winter meeting - 1980
  • Summer president´s meeting - 1977
  • AAPHER Board of Governors - 1976
  • AAPHER Board of Governors: financial - 1976
  • AAPHER Board of Governors: reports - 1976
  • Special Executive Board Meeting - 1981
  • Sub-Series: LIVING HISTORY WORKSHOP
  • Box 10:
  • Burke, Peggy - 1980
  • Grant, Christine - 1980
  • Mabry, Laurie - 1980
  • Morrison, Lee - 1980
  • Mushier, Carole - 1980
  • Summary and evaluation - 1980
  • West, Charlotte - 1980
  • Sub-Series: NCAA/AIAW RELATIONS
  • Box 10:
  • AIAW dissolution proposal - 1982
  • Correspondence - 1971
  • Correspondence - 1974-1975
  • Correspondence - 1980-1982
  • General, undated
  • Issues in athletics - 1980
  • Box 11:
  • Joint committee - 1975-1976
  • Memoranda - 1971-1975
  • Memoranda - 1980
  • Minutes - 1979
  • NCAA conference - 1975
  • Newsletters - 1980
  • Newspaper clippings - 1975, 1980
  • Notes, undated
  • Reports - 1975, 1980
  • Survey - 1979
  • Sub-Series: PRESIDENTIAL FILES
  • Box 11:
  • Burke, Peggy - 1975
  • Gordon, Carole - 1973-1974
  • Grant, Christine - 1979
  • Holland, Judith - 1977
  • Box 12:
  • Lopiano, Donna - 1976
  • Mabry, Laurie - 1975-1976
  • Morrison, Lee - 1975
  • Mushier, Carole - 1979
  • Oglesby, Carole, undated
  • West, Charlotte - 1977
  • Sub-Series: PUBLICATIONS
  • Box 12:
  • Fact sheets - 1973
  • Newsletters - 1972-1977
  • Newspaper clippings - 1974-1975
  • News release - 1979
  • Sub-Series: TOPICAL FILES
  • Box 12:
  • AAPHER - 1975-1976
  • AAU - 1976-1977
  • ABAUSA - 1976-1979
  • Amateur Athletic Act - 1974
  • Big Ten - 1976-1977
  • Broderick proposal - 1977
  • Competitive safeguards and medical aspects of sports - 1975-1976
  • Elections - 1976-1977
  • Fellowship of Christian Athletes - 1976
  • Financial Aid - 1974-1976
  • Box 13:
  • HEW - 1975-1977
  • Homophobia in sport - 1980
  • Insurance - 1975-1979
  • International competition - 1975-1976
  • International competition - 1976-1977
  • Junior/community colleges - 1976-1977
  • Box 14:
  • Legal - 1975-1977
  • Legal (folder 2) - 1975-1977
  • Legal correspondence - 1975-1977
  • Legal correspondence (folder 2) - 1975-1977
  • Letter of intent - 1976-1977
  • Letter of intent - 1977-1978
  • Letter of intent - 1978-1979
  • Box 15:
  • Letter of intent - 1979-1980
  • Media relations - 1976-1978
  • Media relations - 1980
  • Media relations-television - 1975-1977
  • Membership - 1975-1977
  • Minority Women Commission - 1970-1980
  • Minority Women in Sports Conference - 1979-1981
  • Box 16:
  • NAIA correspondence and joint meeting - 1975-1979
  • NAIA reports - 1974-1976
  • National Championships - 1975-1980
  • National Championships Handbook, undated
  • Olympics - 1976-1977
  • President´s Commission on Olympic Sport: publications, correspondence - 1975-1976
  • President's Commission on Olympic Sport: reports, memoranda - 1975-1976
  • Position paper, `Philosophical Underpinnings of AIAW´ - 1979
  • Box 17:
  • Regents of the University of California v. Bakke: affirmative action - 1977-1978
  • Region 1 - 1976-1977
  • Region 3 - 1976-1977
  • Region 4 - 1977
  • Region 5 - 1976
  • Region 6 - 1977-1981
  • Region 7 - 1974-1976
  • Region 8 - 1975-1976
  • Region 9 - 1975-1976
  • Research requests - 1976-1978
  • Resource files - 1973-1975
  • Small college championships - 1976-1978
  • Student leadership conference - 1976-1978
  • Box 18:
  • Student representative - 1976-1977
  • Title IX compliance - 1976-1980
  • Title IX compliance, University of Minnesota - 1976-1978
  • Travel - 1985-1986
  • University of Nevada-Las Vegas athletic department controversy - 1976
  • United States Collegiate Sports Council - 1976
  • Women´s Sports Foundation - 1975-1978
  • Sub-Series: SPORTS FILES
  • Box 18:
  • Badminton - 1976-1977
  • Basketball - 1977
  • Cross country - 1976-1977
  • Fencing - 1976
  • Box 19:
  • Field hockey - 1975-1977
  • Golf - 1976-1978
  • Gymnastics - 1976-1978
  • Skiing - 1976-1978
  • Softball - 1976-1978
  • Sports guides - 1975-1977
  • Swimming - 1976-1977
  • Synchronized swimming - 1977
  • Tennis - 1976-1978
  • Track and field - 1976-1978
  • Volleyball - 1975-1979
  • Sub-Series: ARTIFACTS
  • Box 22:
  • Zippered pouch, AIAW Delegate Assembly - 1981
  • Series 3: WOMEN'S EQUALITY
  • Box 20:
  • International Women's Year: Iowa coordinating committee - 1977
  • International Women's Year: newsletters - 1977
  • Iowa Commission on the Status of Women report - 1978
  • Iowa Women's Meeting agenda - 1977
  • Iowa Women's Meeting handbook - 1977
  • National Women's Conference: handbook - 1977
  • National Women's Conference: newsletters - 1977, 1978
  • National Women's Conference: newspaper clippings - 1977
  • Newspaper clippings - 1975, 1977-1979
  • Project on the Status of Women newsletter - 1977
  • Women in the labor force reports, undated
  • Series 4: SPEECHES
    Titles of the speeches found in each folder are listed under the Arrangement field.
  • Box 20:
  • - 1973-1974
  • - 1975
  • Box 21:
  • - 1976
  • - 1977
  • - 1978
  • - 1979
  • - 1980
  • Box 22:
  • - 1981-1982
  • - 1983
  • - 1984
  • - 1987-1993
  • Undated
  • Resource Files: quotes & humor, undated

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.


Personal Names:
Burke, Norma Peg, 1933-

Corporate Names:
University of Iowa
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
National Collegiate Athletic Association
University of Iowa Department of Physical Education and Dance

Dates:
20th century
1970-1979

Topics:
College sports for women
Homophobia in physical education
Sex discrimination against women
Women
Women in higher education

Occupations:
College teachers

Geographic Names:
United States -- Iowa -- Iowa City

Genre/Form of Materials:
Archives
Personal papers
Cultural artifacts
Speeches

Browse:
Girls' and Women's Sports