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A professor who transformed women¡¯s sport at the University of Chicago and beyond has died.

Mary Jean Mulvaney was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1927. While at high school, she revealed a passion for football, gymnastics and many other sports. After briefly attending the University of Colorado, she transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, graduating with distinction in 1948. She taught at Kansas State University (1949-50), secured a master¡¯s in physical education at Wellesley College in Massachusetts (1951) and then returned to teaching at the University of Nebraska (1951-62) and the University of Kansas (1962-66).

It was at this point that Professor Mulvaney joined the University of Chicago, where she was appointed chair of the women¡¯s division of the department of physical education and put in charge of field hockey, women¡¯s swimming and women¡¯s tennis. She was to remain at Chicago until she retired in 1990, latterly as director of athletics and professor of physical education, and to have a major impact on women¡¯s sport both locally and nationally.

In 1976, Professor Mulvaney became one of the first women to chair a consolidated university department devoted to both men¡¯s and women¡¯s sport. Although she had a leadership role in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, she realised that Chicago had ¡°always struggled to find teams to play against¡± and so opted in 1981 to join the mixed-sex National Collegiate Athletic Association. In 1986, she helped to establish the University Athletic Association as a league for private research institutions based in major cities. She would also take on a number of senior administrative positions in both the NCAA and the UAA.

During her years at Chicago, Professor Mulvaney was a much-loved figure on campus, attending every home game she could and shouting enthusiastic support from the sidelines. She increased the number of women¡¯s sports offered to students from two to nine. Since 1990, the university has given two annual Mary Jean Mulvaney Scholar-Athlete Awards, to a man and to a woman in their senior year with the best grade-point average. In 2003, the director of athletics¡¯ office in the new Athletic and Recreation Facility was named in her honour.

¡°Mary Jean will live on in all of the Maroons [Chicago¡¯s intercollegiate sports teams] that felt her generous spirit and knew her genuine kindness,¡± said Erin McDermott, Chicago¡¯s current director of athletics and recreation. ¡°A true pioneer, she helped pave the way for women leaders in college athletics through her courage and compassion.¡±

Professor Mulvaney died on 20 September.

matthew.reisz@timeshighereducation.com