Donor Profile

Janet Parks '60

 

“A self-starter with a can-do attitude” is a phrase often used to describe Dr. Janet Parks '60; those qualities, which she attributes in part to her years in GPS classrooms and on the athletic fields, are the source of her success in her professional and personal life.

 

 

 

While a student, Janet was a tennis player and basketball whiz, captaining the team and playing for six years. She enrolled at the University of Chattanooga after graduation, only to discover that athletic programs were not offered to women at the collegiate level. Bewildered, she and her classmates simply organized the traveling tennis and volleyball teams themselves.

 

 

This tenacity and self-reliance continued throughout her years in higher education. Janet earned a B.S. from UC, an M.S. from Illinois State University, and a doctor of arts (D.A.) from Middle Tennessee State University- all in physical education. Reflecting on the worth of her GPS education, she states, “GPS prepared me for all of my degrees. I knew my parents made sacrifices to send me to GPS, but I did not appreciate the importance until later.”

 

 

Janet served Bowling Green State University as a physical education professor for 39 years, working in the Human Movement, Sport, and Leisure Department and receiving the Distinguished Teaching Professor Award. She co-founded the North American Society of Sport Management and was the founding co-editor of the Journal of Sport Management. A writer and editor of many textbooks, Janet embodies her belief that GPS teaches women “to be active participants and problem solvers.”

 

 

Proud that “GPS is known for academic scholarship,” she knows that better educated women make better mothers, professionals, and citizens. Her main concern with any educational standard is “that women are prepared to be independent. Girls need to learn to be strong for themselves and carry their own identity into the world.” Throughout the country, as one of the most recognized names in her field, Janet has definitely made a permanent impact on sport management education. A charter member of the Girls Preparatory School Athletic Hall of Fame, Janet was the ideal candidate to serve as a role model for students to come.

 

 

Crediting GPS with inspiring confidence in its graduates, Janet sees strong character instilled in its students as well. She is inspired to give to the Annual Fund by the stories of alumnae success she reads in GPS magazines. Knowing that tuition is a barrier for many girls, Janet understands that her gifts make a GPS education possible through need-based scholarships. “A common misconception,” she points out, “is that by paying tuition, you are giving. But tuition covers only so much; it does not cover the full cost of educating a student."

 

 

Those at Bowling Green University who nominated her for the Distinguished Teaching Professor honor wrote “Dr. Parks is someone who enjoys teaching, relishes the exchange of ideas with students, and likes to introduce them to new points of view. She constantly sharpens her skills for the classroom by attending professional conferences, writing articles and textbooks, and remaining very active in every part of university life.” No wonder, then, that Janet recognizes the importance of providing GPS faculty with opportunities for professional growth.

 

 

“Girls Preparatory School puts women in a position to have opportunities,” she believes. Janet's gifts to GPS continue that tradition and open doors for students and faculty alike.