In the fall of 1958, Anne Bee (now Anne Berrigan) became the first female Loyola athlete when she joined the men’s tennis team. She was also the first woman to receive an athletic letter and the first to be inducted to the athletic Hall of Fame in February 2005.

Berrigan, originally from Augusta, Ga., was a high school tennis star who earned the title “Augusta Women’s Champion,” along with many other awards. During her freshman year, she requested a tryout with the tennis coach. Although unprecedented, neither the coach nor the dean could find a reason why Berrigan couldn’t play.

Being one of the only female intercollegiate athletes in the region, Berrigan faced some stigma from opposing teams. Despite outside challenges, her male teammates treated her with respect. Berrigan received a great deal of media attention; Sports Illustrated recognized her in their April 1958 issue in their “Pat on the Back” section, as did many other newspapers and publications.

Though she broke many important gender barriers, her career was cut short. In the fall of 1959, Loyola appointed a new director of athletics who asked her to leave the team because he didn’t feel it was “proper” for a woman to play college sports.

Berrigan wasn’t bitter about the dismissal and was happy to have had the opportunity to play, according to a previous Maroon story. She lives in Athens, Ga., with her husband, whom she met at Loyola. They have five children.

Nicole Mundy can be reached at [email protected].