source: Wayland Baptist University News

PLAINVIEW – The Hutcherson Flying Queens Foundation (HFQF) received a generous donation from the Texas Historical Foundation on Tuesday morning in support of the upcoming Flying Queens Museum that will be housed on the Wayland Baptist University campus.

Lenny Sadler, a Texas Historical Foundation board member, and his wife Linda were on hand for a check passing photo opportunity and with HFQF representative and former Flying Queen Darla Armes Ford (1980-84) and Wayland President Dr. Bobby Hall. The Texas Historical Foundation donated $5,000 to assist in transferring existing film and VHS footage to digital video for use on interactive displays in the museum.

Dr. Hall, who is working closely with the HFQF on the project, said the use of technology will be vital to the operation of the museum.

“Through the technology, I guess you can say it’s a space multiplier,” Hall said. “We came across this idea when the Flying Queens were inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. This is the process they use. We will have video displays where you can see all of the old film and also watch the stories that are so important.”

Sadler said the Texas Historical Foundation is interested in supporting projects that preserve Texas history.

“Projects like this are a no-brainer,” Sadler said. “We hate to see history disappear and we are always looking for projects like this.”

The museum will tell the story of the Hutcherson Flying Queens basketball program at Wayland, beginning with the sponsorship by Claude and Wilda Hutcherson in the late 1940s. The program changed the face of women’s basketball and pioneered opportunities for women. Program accomplishments included:

  • Being the first women’s team to play in Madison Square Garden
  • The only team to win nine consecutive NWIT National Championships
  • Winning a record 131 consecutive games
  • Currently hold the record for the most program wins among any women’s basketball program in the nation with more than 1,700 victories

The Flying Queens also had an international influence with players selected to play in FIBA World Championships, the Pan America games and FISU World University Games in Moscow.

The museum will not only focus on the on-court accomplishments of the basketball program, but also the lives of the women involved who went on to impressive and influential careers in all walks of life.

Sadler said it’s exciting for the Texas Historical Foundation to be a part of the museum project, and personally he knows how important the Flying Queens and women’s basketball is in West Texas.

“We’ve been very familiar with [the Flying Queens] legacy and what they’ve done ever since we moved to Amarillo in 1972,” Sadler said. “What they did is incredible. It will never be repeated.”