The NCAA News - News and Features

February 16, 1998

Grinnell's Fairchild to serve on III Management Council

Diane "Dee" Fairchild, director of athletics at Grinnell College, was elected to the Division III Management Council at the NCAA Convention last month.

Fairchild, who has been athletics director at Grinnell since 1986, was the first woman to hold that position at any college in Iowa. Before coming to Grinnell, Fairchild was director of athletics at Johnson State College.

After arriving at Grinnell in 1984, Fairchild coached the college's nationally ranked field hockey program. The program was later dropped because of lack of local competition.

She has also coached basketball and tennis at Grinnell and is currently the women's varsity golf coach, as well as senior woman administrator.

In addition to directing athletics, Fairchild is chair of the physical education department and an associate professor.

Fairchild previously served on the NCAA Women's Committee on Committees and the NCAA Credentials Committee.

She also is active in the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators, for which she has served on several committees. Fairchild also is a member of the American Association of University Women.

Fairchild is an athletics representative to the Midwest Conference and she has chaired that group twice, playing a key role in the merger of separate men's and women's conferences into one league in 1994.

Fairchild earned bachelor's and master's degrees at Mankato State University, where she played varsity basketball and has been elected to the university's athletics hall of fame.