The record group is arranged in two series, Historical and Administrative. The Historical series (1979-1996), is comprised of the club's Constitution, Bylaws and lists of the executive board members. It documents the development and transformation of the organization.
The second series, Administrative (1979-1996), outlines the club's administrative activities. The records offer a picture of how the organization functioned. The large interest taken in the club is shown by the membership lists. The extensive fundraising efforts that the M Women were involved in can be seen throughout the collection, as well as in the separate fundraising folder.
Prior to the passage of Title IX in 1972, women's sports did not enjoy varsity status nationally. This legislation was passed in an effort to end this and other discriminatory practices at schools that received federal funds. Two examples of the types of discrimination that occurred were that men had varsity athletics and women did not and men had funding and scholarships available and women did not. When Title IX was passed the University of Michigan chose seven women's club sports to elevate to varsity sport status for the 1973-74 school year; these included: tennis, basketball, swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, volleyball and field hockey. Women who participated in these varsity sports at the University of Michigan were eligible for the block "M" athletic letter in 1974. Men who received letters also became members of the M Club (a men's social club). The M Club had no female athletes among its members. The idea for a women's club for female athletes, similar to that of the M Club, was proposed in 1978. The Michigan Women's Athletic Association "M-Women" was founded in 1979. The group began its meetings in 1980 with Helen Morsink as its first president. The mission statement of the organization is to "promote, foster, and assist in the growth and promotion of the University of Michigan's women's athletic programs." The group became dedicated to helping fund female athletes by providing fellowships and scholarships to student athletes and their coaches. Membership to the M-Women is open to both fans and athletes, male or female.
