The Mission Statement of the Varsity 'O' Women's Alumnae Association

The mission of the Varsity O Women Alumnae Society is to promote women in athletics and The Ohio State University, while keeping former athletes connected with their alma mater. To this end, the society supports a wealth of functions across the university.

The History of the Varsity 'O' Women's Alumnae Association

Women’s athletics were initially housed within the university’s recreation department; in 1975 they were moved to the Athletic department and the first varsity letters were awarded to women athletes. The original alumni society for these former women athletes was Script O. Traditions began with a group of dedicated women who gathered annually for a Homecoming Tailgate outdoors, under a tent in front of the French Field House, to collect news and pictures for a newsletter and to support women’s athletics teams.

In 1992-1993, Ms. Phyllis Bailey (then director of women’s athletics) put out a call to reorganize and revitalize the organization. The twelve dedicated Buckeyes that answered her call became the Board of Directors. The primary goal that Ms. Bailey wanted to see realized was the addition of women athletes to The Ohio State University Sports Hall of Fame. Before the first class could be inducted though there was much work to be done.

The organization underwent a name change, from Script O to Varsity O. This was made possible by the board rewriting and updating the constitution and standing rules that govern the society. At the same time, the Athletic Department adopted the policy to award female and male Varsity athletes the same Varsity O letter awards at the completion of the season. The project to standardize certain procedures and align the two Varsity O Alumni Societies paved the way for the addition of women athletes into the Hall of Fame.

In the fall of 1993, a charter class of women was inducted into The Ohio State University Sports Hall of Fame. This has become our premier event each year. It is a very exciting and inspiring banquet. Following induction, Hall of Fame inductees that year are presented at halftime of a football game in front of nearly 100,000 cheering Buckeyes!

Since the revitalization of the organization in the early 1990s, Varsity O has made a positive impact on women’s athletics at Ohio State. Each year the volunteer Board of Directors works to increase the presence of Varsity O on campus, as well as offering new opportunities to the membership.