Hall of Fame
Dr. Kathryn Smith-Brown began her long career at Southern Arkansas University in 1945, coaching the women’s AAU basketball, softball, and tennis teams, and the men’s Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) bowling teams. She is a graduate of Linville, La., High School, Louisiana Tech University with a B.S., Louisiana State University (Master’s), and the University of Arkansas (Doctor’s).
In 1949, Magnolia A&M, a junior college at the time, won the Arkansas state AAU women’s basketball tournament and competed in the national AAU championship at St. Joseph, Mo. They reached the semifinals of the consolation bracket and lost to the Wayland College Fliers, who later became a national powerhouse. The exposure in the national tournament drew more female physical education majors to the school. In 1950 and 1951, Magnolia A&M was still playing AAU ball and in 1952, college president Dolph Camp declared women’s basketball “unladylike” and forbid them further participation.
Seeking fast-pitch softball opposition from other colleges around the state and unable to get responses, Brown’s team had to play independents under the sponsorship of the Chatterbox, a Magnolia restaurant. Little competition could be located.
While working on her Master’s in 1950, Brown joined the Building Trades softball team, which won the Baton Rouge city championship, the Louisiana state championship, and the regional championship. Her team reached the World Tournament. She was unable to play the next year since she was expecting her first child.
Tennis began at the university in the 1940’s. Her first player was Billie Jo Jones in 1945, who later became the state women’s tennis champion. Jones also played AAU basketball, ASA softball, and helped Kathryn officiate high school basketball games. Kathryn became a nationally rated basketball official in 1945 and worked high school games in Arkansas and Louisiana. In the summer of 1949, Kathryn was playing in the regional softball tournament at night and playing in the state tennis tournament during the day. She took a college sponsored tennis team to the AIC state tournament in 1951-52.
After several years of not having a competitive basketball team for women at SAU, an invitation to a District AAU Tournament in Hot Springs in 1965 was acquired by Mary Jane Lavender, who asked Brown if she would coach a team if they gained permission to participate. Dr. Imon Bruce, who was the university president at the time, and Auburn Smith, the athletic director, allowed the team to compete. Southern State, the name of the university at the time, won the tournament after a short time of practice with the newly organized team. The team was also allowed to participate in the AAU state tournament where they lost a close game in the semifinals to a veteran Ouachita Baptist team.
Lavender-Gilbert later started women’s basketball at the University of Arkansas-Monticello and was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame for her contributions to women’s athletics.
In 1965-66, Brown finished her doctorate, and Dr. Margaret Downing, who had coached several years at Ouachita Baptist, was chosen to continue the SAU basketball program. Downing, a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, was inducted into the SAU Sports Hall of Fame in 2003’s inaugural class. The Arkansas Women’s Intercollegiate Sports Association (AWISA) was formed and continued until women’s sports were absorbed by the AIC. AWISA sponsored basketball, volleyball, softball, tennis, track and field, postal archery, and bowling. Kathryn continued to coach women’s tennis and men’s and women’s bowling until 1976.
Women’s sports at Southern Arkansas University are now under the auspices of the NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference with scholarships available in some of the sports. Brown commented, “I just lived one or two generations too soon.”
The new annex to the W.T. Watson Athletic Center was named the Kathryn Smith-Brown Building in her honor. She retired after 50 years of service at SAU in 1995 and resides in Magnolia.
