Linda Vaughan would have been extremely proud to learn she was a member of the inaugural class of the Wellesley College Athletics Hall of Fame. As is true of the other honorees, many of them her close friends, she was a woman who made a difference.

Linda began her career as a young instructor at Wellesley, teaching a variety of activities. She left to get her Ph.D. from Ohio State, and after a brief stint at Smith as Director of Graduate Studies, she returned to Wellesley as Chair/Athletic Director in 1973, a position she held for 17 years. She taught classes until her retirement in 2000, a task she greatly enjoyed.

As Chair, she transformed Wellesley intercollegiate athletics from its club status infancy into a strong and viable program, hiring the first assistant athletic directors, athletic trainers, specialized coaches, and assistant coaches. Also during her tenure, the College built the new Sports Center. Linda was the director of this project, which culminated in the athletic complex being opened in 1985. Additionally, Linda was a founding Co-Chair of the Friends of Wellesley College Athletics, a support group that has helped Wellesley Intercollegiate Athletics and the Recreation Program grow substantially over the past several decades.

Her legacies to the College and to the wider world are many. Nicknamed “Mighty Mouse” by her ’70s faculty and “The Colonel” in the ’80s, she mentored younger faculty, staff, and students throughout her career. Her generosity of spirit brought to her close and decades-long friendships, and the courage and humor and hopefulness that were trademarks of her entire life were brought into sharp relief during her final illness.

She loved Wellesley College, and established the substantial, permanent Linda K. Vaughan Endowment Fund for the Friends of Wellesley College Athletics, with the income supporting the endeavors of Wellesley’s scholar-athletes. While she is sorely missed, her legacy to Wellesley and to the wider world will continue for generations to come.

Linda gave her energy and talents and intelligence to Wellesley College throughout her adult life, and considered it her home. It was said of her that she bled Wellesley Blue. She is so deserving of this recognition, and would have been extraordinarily honored.

–Refection by Ann Batchelder, Professor Emerita of Physical Education and Athletics