50th Anniversary of Women's Athletics at Binghamton University
Profile: Lois B. DeFleur, University President, 1991-2010
Brief: A native of Illinois, Lois B. DeFleur became the first female president at Binghamton University in 1991. She served as President for 19 years before retiring in 2010. A former collegiate basketball player, DeFleur was supportive of athletics and her vision for the University included a strong school spirit directly tied to a successful intercollegiate athletics program. During her tenure, the University made its historic move from NCAA Division III to Division I and gained membership in the America East Conference. The school also changed its nickname to "Bearcats" during her leadership.
Sports was an important part of her upbringing and she understood and promoted the value of athletics participation and competition. DeFleur's father was a basketball coach and he encouraged and supported her in the athletics arena. At Binghamton, she was a frequent speaker at athletics banquets and luncheons and she also could be seen cheering for the teams during competitions. DeFleur gave the keynote speech at the first women's luncheon event celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day on February 1, 2006. The full speech can be read here.
Presidential Biography
Upon her arrivial, DeFleur had four main objectives: to develop the University's research capacities, to provide new academic and co-curricular opportunities for undergraduates, to internationalize the campus and expand faculty and student diversity, and to develop private support while extending campus outreach into the community.
During her time at Binghamton, she oversaw the addition of dozens of new graduate programs, with the result that by the time she left, every school and college offered doctoral degrees. In addition, the University added two new colleges — the Graduate School of Education and the College of Community and Public Affairs. In 2007, DeFleur received the Harold R. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education for her work in promoting campus internationalization.
There was a significant expansion and beautification of the campus during her tenure and she oversaw the transition of the University's intercollegiate athletics teams from NCAA Division III to Division I. DeFleur also guided the campus through its first-ever comprehensive gifts campaign, Believe in Binghamton, which raised $43.7 million for student scholarships, facilities enhancement and faculty support, laying the foundation for the University's second campaign, Bold. Brilliant.Binghamton, with a goal of raising $95 million.
DeFleur received her doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Illinois and her bachelor's degree from Blackburn College. She held administrative positions at the University of Missouri and Washington State University, and in the 1970s played an key role in helping integrate women into the United States Air Force Academy.
