VIRGINIA WILCOX
Game Official
Inducted May 3, 1982

Virginia Wilcox was one of the early pioneers of women’s athletics at SMS. She came to SMS in 1949 as a physical education major and was a member of the Physical Education Majors Club and the Women’s Athletics Association. She played AAU basketball and ASA softball at SMS. She was a teacher and volleyball and softball coach at Salem, Mo., and then moved to a similar post at Branson, Mo. She was instrumental in initiating quality volleyball officiating in southwest Missouri by insisting on the use of rated officials rather than non-trained judges. She called on various SMS instructors and PE majors to officiate in a number of sports and was an active official herself in several sports. She worked in the Springfield Parks Department and played a major role in developing the city softball program. She also helped coach members of the SMS team during summer competition. She was inducted into the Springfield Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame in 1977. Wilcox was also an active competitor in tennis and paired up with Kay Hunter to win several city championships in doubles.