Year Inducted: 1996
Nominated By: M. Kay Aguilar
Sports Competed In: Basketball, Girls Sports
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Athlete, Coach, Contributor
Jessie Banks
High School:
Attended Lindsay H.S. in Oklahoma, graduated in 1954...Two year letter winner playing basketball (1953-54).
College:
Went to Central Oklahoma State, graduating in 1962...Played field hockey, volleyball, basketball, softball, badminton and golf for four years (1958-62).
Achievements:
● Five time All-American (1954-58) for the "Red Heads" basketball team.
● Inducted into the Lindsey High School Hall of Fame in 1987.
● Received the Recipient of Recognition - Contributions to USC Athletics (1987).
● Recipient of the 1988 School District #60 Service Award for Girls Sports.
● Named in the 1993 publication "Pioneers in Sports" as a major contributor to Women's athletics as a player, coach, supporter, and administrator of Women's Athletics.
● Made outstanding contributions to sports in the State of Colorado and the Nation.
● Officer and Founder of the Intermountain Association Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (IAIAW).
● President of the Region VII IAIAW in 1968.
● Inducted into the "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame" in Springfield, Mass.. (Sept. 2012) as a member of the "Red Heads" women's Basketball team who toured the United States playing men's teams in the 1950's.
Coaching Career:
● Sidewinders softball coach for four seasons (1966-70).
● Assistant Basketball Coach at Adams State College for a season (1965).
● Spent 19 years (1966-85) as a coach at the University of Southern Colorado (USC) coaching volleyball, softball, basketball and track & field.
● Inducted into the USC Basketball Hall of Fame (1996).
Contributions:
● Spent 14 years as an Colorado H.S. Volleyball Official (1966-80).
● Held Basketball/Volleyball Clinics All over Colorado for 10 years (1970-80).
● Worked for nine years as USC's (now CSU-Pueblo) Women's Sports Assistant Director: Coordinator for Women's Sports and as a member of the NAIA Women's Committee (1975-84).
● Served for six years (1979-85) on the Board of Directors of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
● Chairperson of the NAIA District VII Basketball Committee (1980-82).
Honors:
● Volleyball "Coach-of-the-Year" (1979).
● Region VII, Division II NAIA (1979).
● Inducted into the Colorado Coaches of Girls and Women's Sports Hall of Fame (1985).
● Honored by Colorado General Assembly: A tribute to Contributions in Girls and Women's Sports in Colorado (1985).
Occupation:
Teacher and coach
Personal:
Lives in Pueblo.
