- ........ - Pitchability. Karen Mason sends the ball to home plate in one of the Lady Bisons home games. photo by Public Relations Office. The Man Behind the Tearn April 6, 1981, is one of the memorable dates in the history of Harding although very few students and alumni aTe aware of it. This is the date that Harding women played their first intercollegiate athletic contest - a double header split with the University of Arkansas at Monticello in Monticello. The man largely responsible for this achievement was Dr. Ted Altman, Vice President for Academic Affairs, who had volunteered to coach women's softball in order that the women who so desired might have opportunity for intercollegiate competition. At the ' beginning of the 1983-84 school year, the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference began the sponsorship of women's as well as men 's sports. The Lady Bisons won the AIC softball championship from the Arkansas Tech University Golden Suns and Coach Altman was named the AIC Coach of the Vear in softball for 1984. In June of 1963, Altman, who was serving as an elementary principal and junior high basketball coach in the Garden City, Kan. , Junior High School, enrolled in the American Studies Graduate Education Program at Harding taught by Dr. Clifton L. Ganus. Dr. Ganus was impressed with Altman and employed him to begin teaching American history that fall and to begin serving as assistant basketball and football coach and as manager of Armstrong Hall. Later he transferred to teaching physical education . Taking a leave of absence for doctoral study at North Texas State University in 1969-1970, Altman received the Ed.D . degree in higher education in 1971. At the 1972 spring commencement, he was recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award. The outstanding qualities of Dr. Altman in so many areas had not gone unnoticed. Dr. Ganus, by then President Ganus, requested him to become Dean of Students effective with the beginning of the 1972-73 school year when Virgil Lawyer resigned from the position to devote full time to teaching. Altman was enjoying his teaching in physical education and was reluctant to accept this responsibility, but he accepted because of his strong desire to serve Harding and her students. His stress on effective communications between his office and students enabled him to serve effectively in this difficult position and to serve, also, as an elder of the West Side church of Christ. The attitude of the players toward Coach Altman was expressed by Terri Harmon, a member of the first team in 1981, with these words, "He does a real good job with us. There's a lot of closeness and unity on the team, kind of like one big family. He's a powerful influence on the team. H i!.~ Softball 159
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