Northwestern State University of Louisana

Graves, a retired NSU vice president, will be presented the Graduate N Club’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her pivotal support of funding scholarships and operating funds that gave rise to intercollegiate women’s sports at Northwestern in the mid-1970s. In April 1975, Northwestern became the first university in Louisiana to issue full athletic scholarships to women, when NSU athletes Pat Nolen, Diane Pittman, Emma Ellerman, Louise “Do” Bonin, Sherrill Landry, Terri McDonnell, Inez Brew, Mona Davidson, Janie Wallace and Margaret Langford were the recipients. Tammy Primeaux and Lisa Brewer were high school seniors who accepted scholarships to play basketball for the Lady Demons.