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FAMOUS FOLKS AT FERNCLIFF

Betty Doughman Dillahunt: 1921 - 2017

Betty Doughman Dillahunt, a pioneer in women's athletics, was born on August 18, 1921 in Springfield. She was a graduate of the Springfield High School class of 1939 and Wittenberg University in 1946. She was married to Fred S. Dillahunt.

Known as "Doofy" to her teammates, Betty was an elite, all-around athlete. She won the Springfield women's golf title eleven times and finished fifth in the 1957 USGA Golf Championship. A renowned fastpitch softball pitcher, Betty played in seven world championships, hurling a total of 14 no-hit games in a 25-year career and receiving an invitation to play in the All-American Professional Girls Baseball League.

She was also a top field hockey player and competed 19 times in national tournaments, several times earning all-star status

and was named to the US Women's National team. A restless competitor, Betty was also a perennial entry in Ohio badminton and tennis tournaments.

Betty worked at Wittenberg for 36 years. During her tenure she coached nine different sports, founded the field hockey program and authored a field hockey coaching book. She served as the Director of Women's Athletics at Wittenberg for a decade and was named Chairperson of both the Women and Men's Athletic Department prior to retiring in 1982. Betty also co-founded the Sauk Valley Farms Field Hockey Camp in Brooklyn, Mich.

She was inducted into the Wittenberg Hall of Honor in 1985 and honored as a SHS Alumni of Distinction in 2009. Wittenberg dedicated Betty Doughman Dillahunt Softball field in Betty's honor in 1997. She also received the Ohio - National Association for Girls and Women in Sports (NAGWS) Pathfinder Award in 2008.

Betty passed away Sunday, March 26, 2017 at the age of 95. She is buried in section R at Ferncliff Cemetery.

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