Laurie Priest, a leading authority on women and sports, is the W Association's Distinguished Award of Excellence inductee. Priest's distinguished career spans numerous professional contributions at the national, regional, and state levels advocating for and addressing social justice issues in sport and for her work to combat bullying and homophobia in high school and intercollegiate athletics.
At Wooster, Priest was actively involved in the Women's Athletic Association all four years and served on the executive council as a junior and senior. Her biggest impact athletically came from three years on the varsity volleyball team, which she helped to a 44-31 record. Priest played on the junior varsity field hockey and basketball teams and was a four-year member of the club softball team, which first gained varsity status two years after Priest graduated.
After earning a master's degree from University of Maryland, College Park, Priest was hired to the staff of Chevy Chase Athletic Club as an assistant manager. She joined the college ranks in 1982, serving as assistant professor of physical education and director of athletics at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.
Priest's biggest impact came at Mount Holyoke College, where she spent 24 years as chair of physical education and director of athletics before retiring in 2013. She directed a 14-sport intercollegiate athletic program, eight competitive club sport programs, and managed a 66-stall equestrian center. While at Mount Holyoke, Priest served a term on the board of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators and regularly served the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport in a multitude of roles, including a term as the organization's president. She is a life member of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, leading numerous committees in social justice, nominating, governance, and other areas. She chaired the NCAA's women's committee on committees and the memorial resolutions committee and served a term on the national advisory board for health, physical education, recreation, and dance.
Elsewhere, Priest was part of Nike's LGBT Sports Coalition, served on the National Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Task Force, and the Feminist Majority Foundation's task force on girls and women in sport.
The College of Wooster distinguished alumni award recipient was presented the Nike Lifetime Achievement Award by Women Leaders in Sport in 2022 and was named one of the top 100 most influential sports educators by the Institute for International Sport in 2007.
"I can honestly say that my experience at Wooster fueled my desire to advocate for sports opportunities for girls and women," shared Priest on the hall of fame questionnaire. "I left Wooster with the confidence that there was a role for me to advocate for Title IX and provide equal opportunities for women in sports."
Priest splits her time between Massachusetts and Florida with her spouse, Anne Harrison. They have three children.
