Carol Mann Was a Pioneer in Women’s Athletics

By Fred Altvater
Last month golf lost one of the grand ladies of the game, Carol Mann died at the age of 77. She led a full life off the golf course and was an exceptional golfer on it. She won 38 titles on the LPGA Tour, including two majors. Her consistently low scores earned her the LPGA’s Vare Trophy in 1968, she was the LPGA Money leader in 1969 and received the Babe Zaharias Award in 1976.
Mann was a leader, serving as President of the LPGA Tour 1973-1976. She helped hire the first commissioner and tirelessly marketed the tour to potential sponsors. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1977 and recognized by the PGA of America, in 2008, with “The First Lady of Golf” award for her efforts promoting the game.
Over 6’ tall, Mann normally stood out in a crowd and once engaged in conversation, could hold her own on a wide variety of topics. She was not solely concerned with golf, but also deeply involved with opening all sports to women. She served as president of the Women’s Sports Foundation from 1985 through 1989 and pushed to get Title IX Legislation through Congress.
A few years ago, I had the great pleasure of having a delightful conversation with Ms. Mann. A 15-minute telephone interview turned into over an hour of fantastic conversation. She stayed abreast of current topics and her past experiences gave her a keen insight into modern day issues.
Although Mann was not one of the original 13 founders of the LPGA, she was one of the early pioneers in women’s professional golf. She was also a champion for women’s sports in general and was deeply involved in the passage of Title IX, which opened the doors for equal athletic opportunities for women in college and high schools.
She was a pioneer in television broadcasting and was the first woman to broadcast a men’s golf tournament. She told me she was so nervous, but the other broadcast crew members, all men, helped her immensely to became one of the best golf announcers on TV.
Even in her later years, she stayed active in the game of golf, especially junior golf. She took great pride in being involved and serving as the first tee announcer for an AJGA event held every year in Houston. She loved interacting with the junior golfers, marveled at their abilities and watching their progress.
She was also proud of what the LPGA Tour has become today and the role she played in the early days of the tour.
Carol Mann loved golf and helped promote the game, as well as, women’s athletics in this country. Her passing was a very sad day for women’s golf, as well as, golf in general.