Joy McCann Culverhouse and the Culverhouse Endowment
As golfing matriarchs go, no program in the nation can claim a more impressive lineage than Alabama's Joy McCann Culverhouse, who claimed two Alabama Women's State Championships (1941 and 1947) and the 1961 Florida Women's Amateur title.
The University of Alabama announced on Feb. 18, 2015, that Hugh Culverhouse Jr. had given $250,000 to endow a women's golf scholarship in honor of his mother, Joy McCann Culverhouse who starred at Alabama in the early 1940s.
"All of us who are associated with the women's golf program at the University of Alabama are grateful for the generosity shown by Hugh Culverhouse in honoring his mother, Joy McCann Culverhouse, with an endowed scholarship in her name," Alabama head coach Mic Potter said. "This endowment will ensure that deserving student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete at the highest level of intercollegiate golf well into the future.
"I am hoping that the publicity surrounding this endowment will serve to honor Joy McCann Culverhouse as the pioneer that she is, not only for The University of Alabama women's golf, but for women's amateur golf on the national level," Culverhouse Jr. added. "I am proud of The University of Alabama Golf program, and I want the women's team to uphold the tradition of excellence my mother brought to golf."
In an effort to further enhance the development of opportunities for the women's golf program at Alabama and expand the Crimson Tide's donor base, Culverhouse Jr. pledged to double his donation to the program (an additional $250,000) if others responded to this gesture by donating gifts of their own totaling $500,000.
Just six months later, Culverhouse's challenge had not only been met but exceeded. The resulting gifts and pledges total more than $510,000 in support of scholarships for the Crimson Tide's women's golf program. Subsequent to Mr. Culverhouse's original $250,000 donation, several Alabama supporters answered the call and accepted the challenge, providing those additional gifts and pledges.
The catalyst for the fundraising effort was the inspirational example set by Culverhouse's mother, Joy McCann Culverhouse, who celebrated her 95th birthday in March of 2015. She set a standard of excellence in competition that has served as the benchmark for achievement in Alabama's storied women's golf program, which won the NCAA Championship in 2012 under Potter's leadership.
"As a young boy, I learned so many good life lessons from shagging golf balls while my mother prepared for tournaments and watching her determination as she played," Culverhouse explained. "Whether she won a match or lost, she was always a lady. Of course, if she lost, I spent a lot more time shagging those golf balls! Her work ethic was amazing, and it lives within me to this day. I can say, without any doubt, that work ethic has led to whatever personal success I have had. I would like Joy McCann Culverhouse to represent a high standard at the place that deserves it, and for a program that has earned it - the University of Alabama Women's Golf Team."
McCann Culverhouse, who was hailed as "Montgomery's finest links competitor in a generation," became the youngest golfer to win the Alabama Women's State Championship in 1941. McCann Culverhouse went on to capture the Alabama State Championship again in 1947 and the won the Florida Amateur title in 1961.
McCann Culverhouse actually got her start as a freshman at LSU, becoming one of the first women granted a partial scholarship for athletics and playing as the ninth player on the Tigers' men's squad. She transferred back home to The University of Alabama where she continued her golfing career, was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, secretary of the senior class and a member of Pan Hellenic.
McCann Culverhouse led the way for the Crimson Tide women's golf program to achieve full recognition as a varsity team prior to the 1974-75 season, creating opportunities for some of the game's greats to wear the crimson and white including Martha Jones Lang, Peggy Kirsch, Judi Schneider, Kathryn Cusick, Jenny Suh, Kathleen Ekey, Camilla Lennarth, Brooke Pancake, Jennifer Kirby, 2012 Ladies British Amateur champion Stephanie Meadow and 2015 NCAA medalist and 2013 United States Amateur champion Emma Talley.
"I am so very proud to have one of this University's finest alumnae and athletes giving back to a sport that she helped begin during her time at the Capstone," former Alabama Director of Athletics Bill Battle said. "The generosity shown Joy McCann Culverhouse and her son, Hugh Culverhouse Jr., will be instrumental in the continued success of the Alabama women's golf program."
She finished her coursework at the Capstone in 1942, earning her degree in arts and sciences. McCann Culverhouse won a total of 27 championships during her golfing career. In 1997, the Florida House of Representatives passed a house resolution in recognition of her numerous contributions to the advancement of women.
"Every journey starts with the first step, and Hugh has certainly provided us with a big step," Battle stated. "Our journey to endow all of our athletics scholarships will be a long one, but we are off to a great start due to the generosity of these outstanding supporters of our athletics program. The tremendous commitment of our donors is proof positive that our larger goal of endowing all athletics scholarships is not only necessary, but also attainable."
Alabama women's golfer Lakareber Abe became the first recipient of the Joy McCann Culverhouse scholarship. Abe had an outstanding rookie season as a freshman in 2015 as she earned Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team honors, becoming only the seventh player in program history to achieve the feat. She played in 10 tournaments throughout the 2014-15 season, five of which resulted in top-20 finishes. Abe finished the season second on the team with a 75.03 scoring average, while 27 of her 31 rounds counted toward the team score.
"Lakareber Abe is an outstanding person to represent our program with the first Culverhouse scholarship," Potter said. "She has been great in the classroom and great on the golf course, and is a terrific representative on what the Alabama women's golf program is all about."
With these donations, the Crimson Tide Foundation has now raised more than $25.6 million since 2010 specifically for endowed scholarships.
"I am very thankful for the opportunity to be able to honor my mother in this way," Culverhouse said. "In particular, I want to thank Bill Battle, Sam Branch (Sr. Associate Athletics Director for Development), Mic Potter (UA women's golf coach) and, especially, those who accepted the challenge and matched my original donation. It's a fitting way to honor Joy, and a tremendous example of the difference we can make."
Mr. Culverhouse's effort, and the corresponding generosity inspired by it, is the latest in a series of giving examples over the last several years that are part of a larger campaign to eventually endow every athletics scholarship at Alabama. The Crimson Tide Foundation has set a goal of raising $100 million for endowed scholarships with the knowledge that the ultimate cost of fully endowing every athletics scholarship likely will exceed $300 million.
"First of all, what has come to my attention throughout this process is what Joy McCann Culverhouse has meant to the women's golf program at the University of Alabama," Potter added. "Clearly, she had a great career in amateur golf. I was somewhat aware of her accomplishments before but, since Hugh has come forward with such generosity, it has been nice to be able to trace back that history and tradition by getting to know the Culverhouse family. I am also thankful for the other donations we have received. Nothing warms a coach's heart more than to get your program's scholarships fully endowed. Hugh had a vision, not only for athletics success, but academic success as well, and he has stepped forward with this program. I can't thank him enough for his loyalty and generosity."
