The University of Iowa Libraries

Ernella Van Horn was born on April22, 1932 to Ernst Leo Balster and Stella Werden Balster. She was the second of four generations of women in her family to play basketball in Iowa. Her mother, Stella Werden Balster, was born on October 29, 1893near Jonesville, Iowa. Stella Balster played one of the first versions of six-on-six basketball, in which the court was divided into three sections. Her youngest daughter, Ernella Balster, grew up playing the two-court version of six-on-six basketball for Monmouth Senior High School (currently known as Midland of Wyoming) from 1945-1949. Upon her high school graduation, Ernella Balster attended the American Institute of Commerce in Davenport, Iowa. There, she continued her basketball career, and met her future husband, Ray Leland Van Horn; they were married on November 19, 1950. They had three children, Kathryn, Cheryl, and Russell Van Horn.

The Ernella Van Horn papers date from 1993 to 2001 and measure 0.25 linear inches. The papers also consist of Ernella Van Horn's personal account of four generations ofw omen in her family playing basketball, along with their other athletic, academic, professional, and personal endeavors. The papers also include a newspaper article acknowledging and celebrating the historical significance of their participation in basketball. This article also explains various rules of the six-on-six game (as described by Van Horn). Finally, the papers consist of a newspaper article and a baseball card that feature Betty Francis, a schoolmate of Van Horn's who went on to play professional baseball in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

Arrangement: One folder, shelved in SCVF.

Access: The papers are open for research.

Use: Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to The University of Iowa.

Acquisition: The papers(donor no. 812) were donated by Ernella Van Horn in 2001.

Preferred Citation: Ernella Van Horn 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

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.

Geographic Names:
Wyoming (Iowa)
Davenport (Iowa)

Genre/Form of Materials:
Memoirs

Browse:
Girls' and Women's Sports
Rural and Farm Women