[290] Athletic Equity Advocate To Receive King-Hampton Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE: Feb. 8, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

ATHLETIC EQUITY ADVOCATE TO RECEIVE KING-HAMPTON AWARD
Associate Athletic Director Diane Turnham Boosted Women’s Sports at MTSU

(MURFREESBORO) – MTSU Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator Diane Turnham will receive the 2010 King-Hampton Award from the Association of Faculty and Administrative Women (AFAW) and the June Anderson Women’s Center at a high tea at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, in the Hazlewood Dining Room of the James Union Building.
The King-Hampton Award was established in 1990. It is named for Miss Jeanette Moore King, a member of the first Middle Tennessee Normal School faculty, and Miss Martha Hampton, the first woman administrator at MTSU. This honor is presented to an individual from the MTSU community who has made an outstanding contribution to improve the status and equality of women on the campus.
Turnham arrived at MTSU in 1982 as head coach of the women’s volleyball team and assistant coach of the women’s basketball team. The women’s teams had no athletic trainers, sports information directors or bus drivers at that time. In addition to coaching, Turnham did yeoman’s work as statistician, academic advisor, uniform launderer and chauffeur.
Over the years, Turnham labored for greater scholarship opportunities for women athletes, acquisition of up-to-date uniforms and equipment, and access to funding support necessary to cover women’s team transportation, lodging and meals. Due in no small measure to her efforts, the university hired additional coaches and support staff and increased operating budgets for women’s sports.
The cost for the reception is $7.00 for AFAW members and $9.00 for non-members. For more information, contact Christy Groves at 615-898-2652 or cgroves@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg photo of Diane Turnham, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.