Elizabeth Drobac papers

Record Group

Identifier: UA-17.228

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers consist of preliminary notes that Drobac wrote for a speech she gave at the Women’s Varsity Letter Celebration on February 10, 2002. During the February 9-10, 2002 Varsity Letter Celebration, women who were active in varsity sports before 1980 but did not receive letters were awarded one in a special ceremony. Michigan State University began awarding varsity letters to women in 1980. Drobac’s speech recounts the early days of women’s athletics at MSU from 1927 and memories of her time as an athletic instructor.

Dates

Creation: 2002

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Elizabeth (Betty) White Drobac began teaching at Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) in the fall of 1950 as a member of the women’s physical education staff. She taught a variety of team and individual sports including field hockey, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, softball, swimming, tennis, badminton, archery and square dance. She married Stan Drobac in 1953. She met Stan when he was a student. In 1955, she left teaching when she became pregnant. Later, she would have liked to return to teaching, however, her husband had become an employee at MSU and there was a ban against employees being family members. When the ban was repealed she taught for one year in 1969.