Debbie Bailey Spencer ’71 To Become Newest Member of Centenary Athletics Hall of Fame
Debbie Bailey Spencer ’71 is set to become the newest member of the Centenary Athletics Hall of Fame, as the former member of both the gymnastics and cheer teams will be inducted at a banquet on campus on Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m.
Shreveport – Debbie Bailey Spencer '71 is set to become the newest member of the Centenary Athletics Hall of Fame, as the former member of both the gymnastics and cheer teams will be inducted at a banquet on campus on Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m.
Spencer was a world-class gymnast when she came to Centenary from Midwest City, Okla. and graduated with a degree in Education in 1971. She joined Centenary's first women's intercollegiate team, was one of Centenary's first women to earn a full athletic scholarship, and was a five-time All-American in gymnastics — all four individual events, plus the All-Around.
She competed on numerous U.S. International gymnastics teams: 1966 World Championships Team in Dortmund, Germany; 1967 North American Gymnastics Championships in Chicago (Team Gold); 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada (Team Gold and an individual Silver on the balance beam); and Pre-Olympics in Mexico City, one of three athletes representing the U.S. After a knee injury ended her competitive gymnastics career, Debbie turned her talents to Cheerleading.
"Being inducted into Centenary's Athletic Hall of Fame is a great honor and I'm humbled," said Spencer. I will cherish this as a reminder of my wonderful gymnastics teammates and cheerleading squads, and all we accomplished together."
"I'm proud to have been a Centenary Lady and pleased to see the gymnastics and cheering programs have continued going strong at Centenary. I'm very grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to represent Centenary and to be a part of the first women's intercollegiate sport at Centenary.
"Being one of Centenary's first women to earn a full athletic scholarship changed my world. Centenary College was far ahead of its time in their promotion of opportunities for women in sports. I was shaped by this opportunity."
In 1971, she led Centenary's squad to win the National Cheerleading Association "Award of Excellence" and "Spirit Award." She earned an MS in Dance from LSU, Baton Rouge in 1973 while on a graduate assistantship. From 1974 to 1976, she was the Head Coach of the Women's Gymnastics Team and Head of the Dance Department at the University of California, Berkeley, in a tenured position. Later, she headed the U.S. Olympic Committee National Mentoring Program for USA Women's Gymnastics.
In 2010, the World Acrobatics Society honored the U.S. Women's Gymnastics 1966 World Championships Team into its Hall of Fame Gallery of Legends for their empowering performance and contribution that opened the door for future U.S. women's gymnastics teams and individuals. Spencer has written a spec movie script about this team's inspirational story and hopes to get it produced. She also worked as a runway model, did print work, commercials, and some movies and was the manager of her children's modeling careers.
In 1975, she married Dave Spencer, an Air Force fighter pilot and test pilot. He had a second career with Lockheed Martin as lead system engineer for the design, development, and testing of the cockpit systems and modernization program for the USAF F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. They reside in Marietta, Ga., and enjoy retirement, sports, and traveling. They have two children, Scott and Julie (John), and two granddaughters, Bailey and Sydney.
I've lived the "American Dream" and it's due to gymnastics, and my opportunity to get an outstanding college education. I'm humbled and grateful to all the women athletes that came before me, and thrilled for those that have come after me. I hope that the trailblazing efforts of our era opened doors for future women in sports so they could follow and achieve their dreams, just as Centenary allowed me.
There have been many people that were more than just a footnote in my life's journey. I can never adequately thank those that selflessly donated their time to give me a chance to achieve. This Hall of Fame honor is a tribute to all of them, and I thank them all, especially my parents.
"What stands out to me as significant on this Hall of Fame induction is that is encapsulates the Centenary "spirit" of what our student-athletes aspire to be," said Centenary Director of Athletics and Recreation David Orr.
"Debbie is a person who excelled in her craft as a gymnast and student, and then met adversity, due to injury, yet continued forward toward future excellence and success. Perseverance, grit, and positive attitude is essential. Additionally, Centenary College is an institution that supports such endeavors and rallies behind our students to help them achieve, even when a new direction or focus is introduced. On the ground level, we may never know or understand what it took for students like Debbie to achieve so much, but from the 30,000 foot-level, it was her drive, perseverance and support from those around her that achieve. Debbie meets and exceeds the standard."
The Centenary College Athletic Hall of Fame, founded in 1987, recognizes the achievements of former student-athletes and some friends of Centenary Athletics. This prestigious and exclusive group is less than 50 in all and Spencer becomes just the fourth former Centenary gymnast to be inducted, joining Kathy Johnson (1977-79), who was inducted in 1992, Jill Brown Hirsch (1980-83) who was inducted in 1998, and Kristina Menne Forward (2004-07), inducted in 2015.
Keep track of the Ladies and Gents here with the composite athletics schedule: https://www.gocentenary.com/composite
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