Kit Pardee: The Face of Fearless

In every sense of the word, Kit Pardee defines what it means to be "fearless."

Fearless, when she came to Maryland to play field hockey and basketball at a time when women athletes commanded something less than full respect.

Fearless, when she and her teammate Page Croyder had few allies as they advocated for the immediate implementation of Title IX at Maryland.

Fearless, when she submitted a self-designed curriculum to administrators to become the third women's studies program graduate, now a full-degree program offering more than 700 seats per semester.

And… fearless when her life changed in 1981 after a collision with a drunk driver left her paralyzed from the chest down.

One day Pardee was an extremely passionate student-athlete, the next she was a quadriplegic facing immense challenges from a wheelchair. But that life-altering incident didn't diminish her perseverance. Pardee continued to be a fearless woman.

"Fearlessness springs from self-confidence," said Pardee. "Athletics was where I began to develop that confidence, learning what tenacity and resilience mean from outstanding coaches like Sue Tyler (field hockey coach, 1974-87) and being at a transformative institution like Maryland that was really at the forefront of women's athletics and the dawning of the Title IX era."

1974-75 Junior Varsity Women's Basketball Team

Pardee used that mental conditioning to later pursue a law degree at Catholic University while working a full-time job. She received her Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, and went to work for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

With everything Pardee had been through and accomplished, there was always a constant in her life: the University of Maryland.

"Maryland is really a special place," Pardee says with obvious pride. "Just look at our women's sports programs and the successes they've had. With what Chris Weller and Brenda (Frese) have done with the women's basketball program, and the tradition of excellence that Missy (Meharg) has established as one of the country's premier coaches, the link between outstanding leadership and championship teams is clear."

Kit Pardee speaking to the Maryland field hockey team

Pardee's dedication to Maryland doesn't just involve athletics. She created the Pardee Undergraduate Studies Scholarship in 2007 to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students who have demonstrated consistent involvement in campus activities, are in good academic standing, and who have financial need.

Pardee was inspired to pursue a women's studies major and to see Title IX successfully implemented at Maryland in part because she found herself immersed in the feminist movement that was bringing rapid change to all aspects of women's lives. She describes the everyday excitement of being on campus during those heady times when Maryland athletics was at the center of a whirlwind of positive change.

When schools faced Title IX's requirements for the first time, Maryland stepped out in front and led by example, with upgraded facilities, uniforms and equipment, travel schedules, medical care, and per diems. Pardee remembered, "You could feel the earth moving under your feet. You realized monumental changes were on the way and that you were going to play a part as it happened."

From the time she stepped on campus in 1973 fighting for gender equality to the current day when she visits College Park for a field hockey or women's basketball game, Kit Pardee has been fearless.

"Fearless women don't back down," says Pardee. "They see it through, knowing they have the ability to go after what they want and achieve it without letting anything stop them."

Kit Pardee speaking with Johnny Holliday at an early M Club Hall of Fame banquet.

With everything she's been through and all the challenges she has faced, Pardee has lived her life by staying true to her definition of a fearless woman. "Don't back down." "Without letting anything stop you." Those phrases are true of Pardee whether advocating for women's rights, practicing law or being a good friend and supporter of Maryland athletics.

A few times over the last handful of years, Pardee has come back to College Park to talk to the field hockey team. Her message is one of gratitude, friendship and a word she knows all too well - fearlessness.

"What I've hoped to help these world-class athletes recognize is the fact of their great good fortune, at being able to enjoy the opportunities and experiences that generations of women before them only dreamed of. I've stressed to them what I think is the importance of taking time, every so often, to stop and appreciate the exceptional quality of their collegiate careers. To realize the gift of healthy, superbly-conditioned bodies that, when called upon, perform with the strength, agility, and endurance that make their games astonishing to witness.

"One day I know they'll recognize that these were some of the best days of their lives and understand that the camaraderie and joy they shared in pursuit of unified goals will never be replicated in any other setting no matter where their lives may lead them. College is really such an exceptional time in a young woman's life, and that's why I want to help provide that experience to others."

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