Collection is open for research. Remote access may be available upon review. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
This collection contains an oral history with Nora Lynn Finch conducted by Gwynn Thayer and Taylor Wolford in July 2022. Included is a full transcription of the interview. In the interview, Finch discusses: playing sports from a young age (particularly with her brother); coaching at Wake Forest University and Peace College; meeting Kay Yow and being hired at NC State; her relationship with Athletics Director Willis Casey; the implementation of Title IX and discrimination against women athletes; her role models; and trans athletes.
Nora Lynn Finch attended Western Carolina where she played field hockey, volleyball, basketball, and tennis. She received a BS in Education in 1970 and Masters of Education in 1971. After doing some officiating, Finch coached women's basketball and other women's sports at Wake Forest University then at Peace College (where she also served as Director of Athletics). After acting as Coordinator of Women's Athletics for two years, Finch became Assistant Director of Athletics, the first woman in N.C. to hold the title. When Jim Valvano promoted her to Associate Director of Athletics, she became the first woman athletics director in the ACC to hold that title and the first at an ACC school to be the primary administrator for men's sports (soccer, track and field, and swimming). She would serve as the Senior Women's Administrator at NC State for over 30 years.
Nora Lynn Finch attended Western Carolina where she played field hockey, volleyball, basketball, and tennis. She received a BS in Education in 1970 and Masters of Education in 1971. After doing some officiating, Finch coached women's basketball and other women's sports at Wake Forest University then at Peace College (where she also served as Director of Athletics). After acting as Coordinator of Women's Athletics for two years, Finch became Assistant Director of Athletics, the first woman in N.C. to hold the title. When Jim Valvano promoted her to Associate Director of Athletics, she became the first woman athletics director in the ACC to hold that title and the first at an ACC school to be the primary administrator for men's sports (soccer, track and field, and swimming). She would serve as the Senior Women's Administrator at NC State for over 30 years.
While women's basketball coach at Wake Forest, Finch met Kay Yow who was coach of women's basketball at Elon College. Later, when Yow was asked to bring in another staff member at NC State, she insisted on hiring Finch. Finch became Coordinator of Women's Athletics and Yow became women's basketball coach. Finch also served as the inaugural chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee. Yow and Finch remained close friends until Yow passed away in 2009.
In 2008, Finch became Senior Associate Commissioner/Women's Basketball for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). She retired in 2019 after a historic career promoting women's sports. Finch was inducted into the National Women’s Athletic Hall of Fame, twice into the Western Carolina University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Peace College Athletic Hall of Fame. The Orlando Sentinel ranked her the 12th Most Influential Woman in Sports in the 20th Century in their December, 1999 article about American sports, and she was awarded The Order of The Long Leaf Pine (the highest state honor for non-government citizens) from Governor Martin.
This collection contains an oral history with Nora Lynn Finch conducted by Gwynn Thayer and Taylor Wolford in July 2022. Included is a full transcription of the interview. In the interview, Finch discusses: playing sports from a young age (particularly with her brother); coaching at Wake Forest University and Peace College; meeting Kay Yow and being hired at NC State; her relationship with Athletics Director Willis Casey; the implementation of Title IX and discrimination against women athletes; her role models; and trans athletes.
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
[Identification of item], Nora Lynn Finch Oral History, MC 00719, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Gift of Nora Lynn Finch, 2022 (Accession 2022.0110).
Processed by: Phillip MacDonald, 2022; Finding aid written by: Cathy Dorin-Black, 2023 July; Digital materials processed by Alexander Daniels, 2023 August
Included are 1 MPEG-4 Media file and 1 Microsoft Word for Windows file.
Pending staff review and approval, access to digital copies will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access may be restricted.
Files are arranged in the order they were recieved.
Collection is open for research. Remote access may be available upon review. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111
Phone: (919) 515-2273
[Identification of item], Nora Lynn Finch Oral History, MC 00719, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.