APRIL/MAY 2001
FSU ATHLETE BECAME AN AIR FORCE GENERAL
Norma Brown played four sports at Florida State University in the late 1940s and went on to become the first female U.S. Air Force brigadier general, commanding thousands of soldiers over a 30-year career.
Brown, who retired in 1982, returned to her alma mater (in October) to give some advice to FSU's young women athletes.
"I learned so much in life from playing sports," said Brown, 74, a native of Madison. "Part of that is, don't do something you don't like. I don't know a single successful person who doesn't like what they do, so be happy, and do it right."
Brown was the featured speaker at a Sunday brunch sponsored by the Committee of 30, a group that promotes women's athletics at FSU. More than 300 student athletes, coaches and others attended the event in the University Center's ballroom.
Brown, who now lives outside San Antonio, said she played basketball, softball, soccer and volleyball when she entered the then-Florida State College for Women in 1945. By the time she graduated in 1949, the school had become a university.
She became a physical education teacher, but quit to join the Air Force in 1951 when (the Air Force) offered to double her salary - to $400 a month.
She stayed, rising through the ranks to become the service's first female wing commander, then its first woman general.
Brown's biggest laugh came when describing her military experience:
"It's like making love to an elephant. It's a monumental
task . . . and if you don't do a good job, you get stomped."
"To hear how the speakers got to where they were after playing
sports at Florida State is really encouraging," said Brooke
Wyckoff, a senior women's basketball player from Cincinnati,
Ohio.
Condensed from the Tallahassee Democrat.
- James L. Rosica
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Norma Brown
