Mary Lou Thornburg, Massachusetts – Jan, 1995

Mary Lou Thornburg, Massachusetts – Jan, 1995

Mary Lou is currently the Chairperson of the Department of Movement Arts, Health Promotion, and Leisure Studies at Bridgewater State College.  Prior to her career at Bridgewater, she spent many years coaching and officiating field hockey, volleyball and basketball in Wisconsin.

Mary Lou was also involved in the founding of the Northeast College Field Hockey Association, the Massachusetts Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, and the Massachusetts Collegiate Field Hockey Umpires Association.  She served as the Umpiring Chair for the Boston Field Hockey Association, the Northeast Field Hockey Association and the United States Field Hockey Association.  Mary Lou has also been President of the Boston Field Hockey Association.

Since 1958, she has been active as a field hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball official and holds national honorary ratings from Milwaukee, Iowa City, and the Southern Board of Women Officials.  She chaired several of the boards of officials and served on the National Field Hockey Umpiring Board from 1986 through 1989.  She has served on guide committees and worked with development camps.

She was made an honorary member of the Northeast Field Hockey Association and the Northeast College Field Hockey Association.  The United States Field Hockey Association awarded her a National Honorary Umpires’ Award in 1984.  Also in 1984, the National Association for Girls and Women in sport presented Mary Lou with an Honor Award.