A LEAGUE OF HER OWN: THE DEDICATION AND WISDOM OF PAM COLEMAN By Nancy Gelston Fries
T
he year Pam Coleman joined Harbor Day School as a physical education teacher, Ronald Reagan was elected president, John McEnroe won the U.S. Open in tennis, and if you had to miss an episode of Dallas, you recorded it on your VCR. The year was 1980. Like the rest of the world, Harbor Day’s PE program has changed dramatically since Mrs. Coleman arrived on campus. Head of School and alumna, Angi Evans’75, describes PE prior to Mrs. Coleman’s tenure as “pretty ad hoc.” “A lot of PE was along the enjoyment of what the teacher liked,” she said. With the dawning of “The Coleman Era,” that quickly changed. “I was always really interested in physical education and history,” said Mrs. Coleman. “I knew I wanted to be a teacher, but I wasn’t really sure what direction I wanted to go. Then Title IX passed in 1972, and that made me decide to go into physical education, because of the opportunities that opened up for girls.” MRS. COLEMAN'S FACULTY PHOTO IN THE LATE 80S.
4
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
BEACON SPRING/SUMMER 2021
