Peggy Turner Invited to Title IX 50th Anniversary Luncheon

Peggy Turner, CTRS, attended a VIP luncheon held in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Title IX clause of the Federal Education Amendments, signed into law in 1972. The event, held in June 2022, also recognized the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Department of State Global Sports Mentoring Program, in which Turner, through TIRR Memorial Hermann, participates. She is the athletics community liaison and the adapted sports and recreation coordinator at TIRR Memorial Hermann.

In 37 words, Title IX changed the life course of hundreds of thousands of American women. The amendment states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Turner was among them.

“Title IX applies to a variety of programs and opportunities for women, but it has received the most attention for its impact on athletics,” Turner says. “The trajectory of my life changed during my sophomore year in high school, when the law required my school to have a girls’ basketball team. That led me to college sports and, ultimately, to my job at TIRR Memorial Hermann.”

Headline speakers at the luncheon were the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, Ed. D., and sports icon and equality champion, Billie Jean King. The celebration was held at Capital One Arena in concert with the Department of State’s implementing partner, the University of Tennessee Center for Sport, Peace & Society. Luncheon attendees were also invited to a private preview of “37 Words,” a four-part ESPN docuseries that premiered last June, which examines how Title IX shaped American culture.