INFLUENTIAL WOMEN OF NMU
In honor of Women's History Month, we're recognizing a few of the very influential women of NMU.
Read more below
Judith Bailey
Judi Bailey was the first female president of NMU serving from 1997-2003. Graduating from Couper College in 1968 with a major in English and history and a minor in Spanish and religion, she went on to teach in various middle schools and high schools, beginning her administrative career as a principal. She eventually received her doctorate in education and administration in 1976 and continued working as an administrator.
Bailey became the first female vice president of the University of Maine in 1992, working there until she was offered the presidency position at NMU in 1997.
Upon her installment as president, Bailey outlined five basic principles for her actions at NMU: student access, student success, creating a learning community, partnerships, shared governance and shared responsibility.
Throughout her time at NMU, Bailey focused on improving enrollment and fundraising by redeveloping Northern’s campus and opening satellite campuses around Michigan.
Kathleen Shingler Weston
Dr. Kathleen Shingler earned her bachelor’s degree in biology in 1929. She would become one of NMU’s first female graduates to go on to complete a medical degree. She became part of the team that developed the Salk polio vaccine and was honored by President Lyndon B. Johnson as on the nation’s “Outstanding Medical Women.” She married NMU alumnus Jean Weston ‘30 and the couple went on to earn master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Michigan and Temple University. Working on the Salk polio vaccine for pharmaceutical giant Parke-Davis and Companion in the 1950’s would help launch Dr. Weston’s renowned career in toxicology. She became head of the company’s toxicology laboratory in Michigan, where she worked for 10 years. In 1968 she and her husband founded Weston Consultants, Inc. Their consulting firm became a leader in toxicology analysis. She also served as a legal expert in court cases around the country involving toxicology. In the late 1970’s, Weston returned to the classroom as a professor at Georgetown University and George Washington University medical schools in Washington, D.C. Dr. Weston retired from the toxicology field in 1997. She died in 2016 at age 107. The legacy of the 1983 distinguished Alumni Award recipient lives on through the JeanK. And Kathleen Shingler Weston Scholarship to aid Northern students majoring in a science area.
Charlotte and Bessie Preston
Charlotte (1881-1901) and Bessie Preston (1883-1904) were Marquette natives, born to a Jamaican barber. Charlotte was the first black student at NMU, but died of consumption in 1901 before she could graduate. Bessie went on to become the first graduate of color from Northern in 1903.
Karen Kunkel
As an athlete, she has helped to pioneer women's competitive sports. At 15, she won the U.P. Women's All Event Bowling Championships, and was a catcher for the Marquette Merhman Plummberettes that won three U.P. titles and the Class C State Softball Championship in 1951-52-the first U.P. team to do so. While in her first two years at Michigan State University, where she received a bachelor's degree in Physical Education, Kunkel played professional baseball with the Grand Rapids Chicks of the All American Girls Baseball League in 1953 and 1954. She had earlier turned down an offer to play basketball for the Texas Redheads, a show team.
She was also runner-up in the MSU and City of Lansing Golf Championship and starred in alpine skiing and La Crosse.
As a coach, she was the first female member of the Michigan High School Athletics Coaches Association. Before coming to NMU in 1967, where she got a master's degree in Education, Kunkel coached junior high boys' wrestling, football and basketball, and high school skiing at Cadillac where her team won the state championships.
At Northern, she was initially a physical education teacher, coach of the ski team and ran all of the ski classes for the university - 18 classes a year at the time. Her coaching record is 108-6.
She was the first women's athletic coordinator at NMU and was instrumental in establishing the Women's Collegiate National Championships which. NMU hosted in its third year of competition.
After she resigned as NMU's Women's Athletic Coordinator, she became Coordinator of the Liberal Studies Physical Education Program and Director of Outreach Programs for the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
“I started the Outreach Program with the intent that they would provide teaching opportunities for undergraduate students and give them experiences working with kids," Kunkel said.
She brought famed health experts Dr. Ken Cooper to Marquette-in 1977 and highlighted his presentation with an aerobics demonstration by area. Senior Citizens who were part of the free exercise and swimming: program she'd started for adults over 62 at the PEIF.
Her work has brought her recognition and honors. Among them are the Marquis Who's Who of American Women, the NMU Faculty Merit. Award, the Michigan Governor' Award for Outstanding Achievement. in Physical Fitness and Health, and induction into the NMU Sports Hall of Fame in 1985 and the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
Despite her own success as an athlete and coach, it is in her role as an administrator that Kunkel feels she has had an impact. She spearheaded the effort to have a statewide amateur competition in Michigan for athletes of all ages and all skill levels and then had it hosted and conducted by the Great Lakes Sports Training Center But even before the Great Lakes State Games, Kunkel had stressed participation for all ages as the key to amateur sports, rather than competition alone..
"The biggest professional achievements I feel are having been in a position to provide opportunity for people of all ages to enjoy sport at any level and to open doors-for others," she said. Anything you accomplish in a career is because people let you accomplish it. Someone opens the door for you. There have been so many people that helped me grow.”
“I hope I’ve been a good mentor and a good role model. There’s nothing wrong with a strong work ethic, there’s nothing wrong with… being assertive and there’s nothing wrong with being aggressive at times. If you’re true to yourself and honest, you work hard and try to be fair and loyal. In the end, you may not be rich in money but I feel very rich in respect I’ve gained form people”
via The Mining Journal, July 17, 1988
Barb Patrick
Patrick, the first woman to be inducted into the Northern Michigan University Sports Hall of Fame, came to Northern Michigan in 1965 and was appointed to the Associate Athletic Director's post in 1983.
Patrick was one of the original organizers of NMU's women's intercollegiate athletic program and initiated field hockey as a varsity sport for women in 1968. NMU's only field hockey coach, her teams compiled 133-69-20 record in 16 seasons and qualified for the 1979 AIAW national finals.
Patrick was NMU's Women's Athletic Coordinator from 1973-76, resumed those duties when she was named Assistant Director of Athletics in 1977 and was named Associate Director eight years ago. A native of Big Rapids, Mich., she graduated from Central Michigan University and holds a master's degree from Michigan State University.