Established in 1936, the Chico State Women's Athletic Association (WAA) played a vital role in the organizing of the women's athletic program on campus, which included sport teams, tournaments, field days, and intramural teams. The sports and activities involved included archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, camping, golf, hockey, lacrosse, rifle club, skiing, softball, swim, and volleyball. The association also provided scholarships, hosted homecoming events, and included a WAA hall of fame. The collection highlights the career of Jane Wells Shurmer (1906-1989). In 1976, the WAA oversaw the dedication and renaming of the South Gym to the Shurmer Gym to honor the coach and educator for the women’s physical education (PE) major, Janes Shurmer. When Shurmer started at Chico State in 1938, only two students were majoring in women’s PE, but by the time she retired in 1968 there were 160 students in the major. Although her speciality was field hockey, Shurmer was active in countless ways for Chico State’s PE program and WAA.

Alger, Donald B. History of Women's Basketball at Chico State, 1896-2016. 2016.