An alumna who embodies the spirit of KWU will be among those receiving degrees during Kansas Wesleyan University’s Commencement May 14, 2011.

During its February 26, 2011, meeting, KWU’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to confer an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, to Mary Virginia “Ginny” Bevan of Salina in recognition of her significant contributions to academia and her professional service on the local, state, and national levels.

KWU’s Commencement is scheduled for 3 p.m. May 14, 2011, in KWU’s Mabee Arena.

“I’m pleased that the Board of Trustees unanimously approved this honor for Ginny,” said KWU President Fletcher Lamkin. “Ginny truly does embody the spirit of KWU and has shown that in a number of ways throughout her association with the University.”

“I have always been so proud to be affiliated with KWU in every venue – student, alumna, faculty, and trustee – and this is truly the most special of all, a lifetime dream come true,” Bevan said.

After graduating from Salina High School, Bevan began her association with Kansas Wesleyan in the fall of 1952 when she enrolled as a freshman. She quickly became involved in a number of activities and organizations. In 1953, she won both first place in the McGurk Oratorical Contest and first place in the WCTU Speech Contest. She was a cheerleader, president of the Pep Club, a class officer both her freshman and senior years, co-editor of the yearbook, and a newspaper staff member. She participated in plays, the Women’s Athletic Association, Gamma Delta Gamma sorority, and intramurals. Bevan majored in English and HPER, working toward a career in teaching.

After graduating from Kansas Wesleyan in 1956, Bevan was hired by the University in 1957 as an Instructor in Women’s Physical Education. She retired from the University in 1997 as a full professor. During her career at Kansas Wesleyan, she also served as Dean of Women and Interim Academic Dean. She also served as Head Coach for Women’s Track and Field, Tennis, Softball, Basketball, and Volleyball.

In 1968, Bevan was among a group of women physical education professors who met to discuss what possibilities existed for organizing women’s intercollegiate athletics at the state level, both to promote and control competition. At the time, various institutions had been playing interschool contests in the various sports, but nothing was done in an organized fashion. In 1969, the group formed the Association of Kansas Women’s Intercollegiate Sports (AKWIS). AKWIS members developed a constitution, a system for competition and scheduling, and invited others to join. In the early years, teams from all sorts of institutions played each other, regardless of institution size, funding, or recruitment. For example, Bevan’s Kansas Wesleyan volleyball and softball teams played teams from Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Wichita State University, the University of Kansas, and Pittsburg State University. In 1974, AKWIS changed its name to the Kansas Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (KAIAW), to correspond to and affiliate with the national organization, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, which had become a national governing organization. Kansas was in Region VI.

Like most of the teams participating in women’s intercollegiate athletics at the time, Bevan’s teams also faced funding challenges. Team members had to purchase their own uniforms. They glued felt letters on to T-shirts to create uniform tops. They had bake sales and car washes to pay for the team’s transportation, which usually was someone’s car. Brown bag meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner were the rule for away games.

Bevan also held numerous offices in and was a member of a variety of professional organizations, including the Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (KAHPERD); the KAIAW; the Kansas Recreation and Parks Association; the AIAW; the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, serving as secretary and treasurer in Kansas in 1980-85; the Associated Colleges of Central Kansas; the National Associate for Sport and Physical Education; and the American Association for Leisure and Recreation. In 1981 she received the Honor Award from KAHPERD and in 1996 the KWU Exemplary Teacher Award and the prestigious Pathfinder Award from AAHPERD for her contributions to the present-day women’s athletic programs.

Bevan served as a member of the KWU Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2009, including serving as Chair of the Committee on Academic Affairs and as a member of the 2001 Presidential Search Committee.

Bevan was honored with the KWU Alumni Service Award in 1982, the KWU Athletic Hall of Fame Award in 1987, and at the KWU 2007 Homecoming for her pioneering work in women’s intercollegiate athletics. She was given the title KWU Professor Emerita of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1998. Additionally, Bevan received the KWU Distinguished Service Award in 1999 for “Teaching, Caring, Inspiring and Persisting in a Christian Manner.”

She also has served the greater Salina community admirably with her service to the First Christian Church as a board member, board moderator, church trustee, and elder; and has been a member of the Salina Regional Health Center’s Auxiliary, the Salina Art Center, the Salina Friends of the Library, the Salina Symphony, and the American Red Cross.