[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17579]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  CELEBRATING THE REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF WOMEN IN SPORTS AND THE 
                          SUCCESS OF TITLE XI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CARRIE P. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 21, 1999

  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the success of 
title IX--especially for its enormous contributions to the development 
of women sports. I commend the women's caucus and my colleagues, 
Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald and Congresswoman Carolyn 
Maloney, for scheduling this special order on the remarkable 
achievements of women in sports and the impact of title IX. I also want 
to recognize our colleague Congresswoman Patsy Mink and former 
Congresswoman Edith Green who authored and initiated title IX.
  Title IX states,

       No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex be 
     excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or 
     be subjected to discrimination under any educational program 
     or activity receiving Federal aid.

Before title IX, many schools saw no problem in refusing to admit women 
or in applying more stringent admissions criteria to women.
  Title IX has made an enormous contribution to improving the status of 
women. When title IX was passed in 1972, women received 9 percent of 
medical degrees; now, women receive 38 percent of medical degrees. 
Today, women earn 43 percent of all law degrees, compared to 7 percent 
in 1972; today, 44 percent of all doctoral degrees are awarded to women 
compared to 25 percent in 1977.
  In 1900, women competed in the Olympics for the first time, but only 
in the ``genteel'' sports of tennis and golf. The passage of title IX 
set off a period of rapid growth in women's sports. Today, women 
compete in track and field, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics, 
skating, golf, and softball, just to name a few sports.
  Women have significantly increased their participation in collegiate 
sports and, today, we even have women in professional sports leagues 
such as the WNBA.
  This year, the United States hosted the third Women's World Cup, one 
of the biggest women's sporting events to date. Over 90,000 people 
packed the Rose Bowl to watch the U.S. Women's Soccer Team win the 
gold. The U.S. Women's Soccer Team has taught us all that anything is 
possible if you dare to dream; that by raising the bar of expectations, 
there can be no limits; that if you are allowed to fully realize your 
potential, you can achieve. Thousands of young women throughout the 
country surely have formed new dreams and goals as they watched our 
women's soccer team compete for the gold. We can thank title IX for 
these new dreams and goals.
  I am a former athlete. I ran track and played basketball in college. 
I earned a bachelor of arts degree in biology and physical education 
from Florida A&M University, and a master's degree in public health and 
physical education from the University of Michigan. I coached women's 
basketball at Bethune-Cookman College and taught biological sciences 
and physical education. I know about women in sports. I congratulate 
all the women who are participating in sports, especially the 1999 U.S. 
Women's Soccer Team.
  I am proud to be a woman. I am also proud that Congress passed title 
IX and expanded opportunities for women to participate and achieve in 
sports, and attend our academic institutions.
  We need to protect and enhance title IX's achievements. If we do so, 
the future for women will be boundless.

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