BACOA honors former Big 10 commissioner
Former Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke has been an active member of the Barrington Breakfast Rotary for six years. He became chairman of the Big Eight in 1963 and Big Ten commissioner in 1971.
In this role, says Mike Lauzon of the Barrington Breakfast Rotary, which nominated him, “Wayne Duke has been a national leader in civil rights and affirmative action.”
In 1974, Duke hired C.D. Henry as the Big Ten's first African-American assistant commissioner. Duke was also the first commissioner to create an advisory commission composed of former black athletes to address concerns of minority student-athletes, including minority representation, academic standards and graduation rates.
In 1975, Duke appointed a special committee to study women's athletics. This resulted in a Council of Ten decision in 1980 to incorporate women's sports within the conference jurisdiction.
Women's regular season and championship competition were first held in the Big Ten in 1982 under his leadership. He appointed Phyliss Howlett as an assistant commissioner in 1982, the first women to hold such a position in the history of college athletics.
“Wayne Duke's commitment to civil rights and affirmative action has affected every child who has grown up in Barrington,” says Lauzon.
“His philosophy of hiring the most capable individual, regardless of race, creed or sex, provides the determinative management philosophy for the administration of college athletics, and it is why many individuals view Wayne Duke as the person who laid the foundation for athletic and professional equality in intercollegiate athletics.”