It’s Women’ History Month. SIU would not be the University that it is today without the help of some important women. Keep reading to discover the women who made a lasting impact on Southern Illinois University for the better.
1. Charlotte West
-Charlotte was SIU’s first female athletic director in 1960 and served until 1986. According to SIU News, she was also the first woman on the National Association for Collegiate Directors of Athletics. During her SIU athletics career, she coached volleyball, basketball, softball, golf, swimming, and badminton. Additionally, West helped organize the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and became its president in 1978. She is remembered for serving six years on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Council as well. Tom Lamonica writes in SIU Salukis News that Title IX and the NCAA named a meeting room at its Indianapolis headquarters after her. To honor Charlotte, SIU’s well known softball stadium is named after her: Charlotte West Stadium.
2. Jo Ann E. Argersinger & Rita Cheng
-According to SIU’s Hall of Chancellors, Jo Ann E. Argersinger was the first female chancellor at SIU beginning in 1998. The second and most recent female Chancellor that SIU had was Rita Cheng, as SIU’s Hall of Chancellors has listed here. As she took the role of being Chancellor, Rita led the development of a 10-year strategic plan which increased freshmen enrollment for four semesters in a row. The fall 2013 freshmen class was the largest it had been in 20 years. Undergraduate international enrollment also increased. Rita addressed campus infrastructure needs by introducing a “Mobile Dawg” that provides tablets to all freshmen on campus. Cheng was internationally recognized for her research in governmental and nonprofit accounting. Both female Chancellors served in the last 30 years, which was a big step for women!
3. Dorothy Mangus
-According to SIU’s School History, Dorothy (1936-1943) is credited with initiating a new Department of Speech after leaving the Department of English in 1938. She did this to focus her teaching and study on public speaking and dramatics. Over the years, the department has developed expertise in areas ranging from political communication and rhetoric to debate and performance studies. We can all thank Dorothy for adding another department at SIU that was not there before!
4. Dorothy Davies
-SIU’s Davies Hall (which is currently 100 years old) was named after Dorothy Davies who was a coach, administrator, and founder of women’s college athletics at Southern Illinois University. According to the Saluki Hall of Fame, Dorothy was one of the nation’s most respected physical educators and was in the 1982 Saluki Hall of Fame, being the first class that included women. Davies coached field hockey, women’s basketball, softball, and women’s tennis while teaching at SIU. She retired in 1974 and will forever be an inspiration to women in sports!
5. Marion L. Kleinau
–SIU’s School History mentions on the lower half of the website that Marion was hired as an oral interpretation and communication education scholar in 1959. She arrived while the communication building was still under construction. Because of this, she managed to set up a temporary theatre space, originally titled the Calipre Stage. This theatre was the first in the country dedicated to the performance of non-dramatic literature. In honor of her hard work and dedication, the Calipre Stage was renamed to what we know today as the Marion Kleinau Theatre.
6. Julie Staley, Dawn Korte, and Dr. Marsha Ryan
-These three women formed what we know today as the SIU Women’s Leadership Council. Britni Bateman writes in the SIU Foundation Blog that this was established in 2020 and is a network of alumnae, parents, and friends who are committed to creating a culture of women-driven philanthropy at SIU. This council also funds women’s initiatives and scholarships on campus. Thank you, ladies, for your efforts to help women succeed! As Julie Staley said, “Great things happen when women support women.”
These women have made a positive impact at SIU. During the month of March, take time to celebrate the accomplishments and legacies that are seen through women in history as well as present-day society.
Citations
“SIU Prof Seeks Info, Artifacts about University’s History with Women’s College Sports.” SIU News, 2025, news.siu.edu/2024/03/032624-siu-prof-seeks-info-artifacts-about-universitys-history-with-womens-college-sports.php. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
“Dr. Charlotte West’s Love-Driven Journey Raised the Bar for Women in Sports – Southern Illinois University Athletics.” Southern Illinois University Athletics, 2022, siusalukis.com/news/2022/7/15/general-dr-charlotte-wests-love-driven-journey-raised-the-bar-for-women-in-sports. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
“Jo Ann E. Argersinger | Chancellor | SIU.” Siu.edu, 2024, chancellor.siu.edu/hall-of-chancellors/argersinger.php.
“Rita Cheng | Chancellor | SIU.” Siu.edu, 2024, chancellor.siu.edu/hall-of-chancellors/cheng.php. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
“School History | Communication Studies | SIU.” Siu.edu, 2024, cmst.siu.edu/school-history/index.php. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
“Dorothy Davies (1982) – Saluki Hall of Fame – Southern Illinois University Athletics.” Southern Illinois University Athletics, 2021, siusalukis.com/honors/saluki-hall-of-fame/dorothy-davies/52. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Bateman, Britni. “Saluki Women Lead: Featuring Julie Staley ‘88 | SIU Foundation Blog.” Siuf.org, 14 July 2021, blog.siuf.org/?p=2230. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
