BCSP Notes . . .
Bettye McClendon, who became the first female to officiate a men's NCAA college basketball game, is one of 10 people chosen for induction in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2006. The 2006 GSHF Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 20 at the Macon City Auditorium.
In January of 1980, McClendon, a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) women's basketball official, was thrust into the spotlight when the annual battle between Morris Brown and Clark-Atlanta was one official short. She received a call from the SIAC Commissioner telling her "you are a certified official, so go over there and officiate the game." Thus, she stepped into NCAA basketball history.
Prior to that groundbreaking event, the Tuskegee graduate pioneered other sporting landscapes. She was the first female to officiate in the SIAC and in an NCAA Division II basketball tournament. McClendon also became one of the initial two women to officiate a Georgia High School basketball tournament contest.
"Bettye McClendon was a trailblazer for so many women that are involved with basketball officiating," said GSHF Executive Director Jacquelyn Decell. "The inroads she created are historic and have helped changed the way everyone looks at the game of basketball. We are proud to have her among this very diverse 2006 class."
McClendon's officiating career spanned from 1977-1989 in the MEAC, SWAC, and SIAC conferences. The 1987 SIAC Hall of Fame inductee was also the Physical Education Coordinator for Atlanta Public Schools from 1974-1991. The annual Bettye McClendon Invitational Tournament is held in her honor. This year's event takes place on November 18-19 at Fort Valley State University.
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