Former Winner Teacher Named to Sports Hall of Fame

Blanche Barnum, who taught in Winner in 1925, is a 2018 South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame legends inductee.

Winner was her first teaching and coaching job. She taught English and coached basketball before moving to Mitchell where she coached the rest of her career. She died at the age of 94.

Barnum graduated from the University of California in Berkley. She played tennis for California which only had around 7,000 students at that time. She also worked for the Berkley recreation department.

After receiving her degree in health and physical education and a minor in English, she accepted her first job in Winner.

Barnum played golf until she was 90 and played tennis until she was 83.

Barnum taught all levels in the Mitchell School District from 1951 to 1969.

Before Title IX existed, Barnum had formed Girls Athletic Association while teaching physical education at the middle school in Mitchell.

In 1960, she was named the supervisor for physical education in the Mitchell School District.