Helen Ludwig
Birthdate: February 2, 1923
Birthplace: Ada, Ohio
High School: Ada (1941)
Colleges: Ohio Northern (1945), Bowling Green
Year Inducted: 2014
Helen Ludwig was a pioneer who paved the way for women’s athletics at Ohio Northern University.
A 1944 graduate of ONU, she served as a professor in the Department of Physical Education from 1963 until she retired in 1984.
Ludwig was a prime mover in the formation of women’s athletic teams before, during and after the implementation of Title IX. She was passionate about intercollegiate sports for women and wanted Ohio Northern’s programs to keep pace with or exceed those of other schools.
She was instrumental in the hiring of ONU basketball and softball coaching legends Gayle Lauth and Sheila Wallace. She helped establish the ONU softball team in 1968 and coached the volleyball team for two years.
She served as assistant director of athletics and at one time or another was head coach or assistant coach of nearly all of the ONU women’s teams. Helen Ludwig died in 2004 at the age of 80.
