Starting her Oberlin career in 1956, Mary Culhane served the College for three decades. A pioneer in the development of women’s varsity athletics at Oberlin, she worked as women’s athletics director while also coaching track and field, field hockey and volleyball during her tenure.
Alongside fellow inductee Joe Gurtis, Mary played an integral role in the formation of the North Coast Athletic Conference, which at the time was the nation’s first co-educationally structured conference.
In 2010, the softball field was renamed in her honor because of her pivotal role in making women’s varsity athletics a reality at Oberlin. In addition to coaching, she was an impressive athlete herself. Culhane competed as a swimmer in the Senior Olympics in 1980 and won multiple gold medals.
Mary passed away on December 31, 2009.
