JUDY BELL
1936 -
Inducted - 2001

The first woman to serve as President of the United States Golf Association (USGA), Judy Bell left her mark on the sport at every level since first picking up the game at age seven. She played her first tournament at age 10, won the first of several Wichita Women's Championships at the age of 14, and captured the Kansas State Amateur title three straight years before her eighteenth birthday. Bell competed in the 1950 Women's U.S. Open at age 14 and was a member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team in 1960 and 1962 and later captained the Curtis Cup team as non-playing captain in 1986 and 1988. Captained the 1988 U.S. Women's World Amateur Team. A veteran of 38 USGA championship events, Bell won three Broadmoor Invitational titles, three Florida East Coast Championships, the Palm Beach Invitation, the 1958 South Atlantic Championship and the 1963 Trans-Mississippi title. In 1964 she shot a 6-under-par 67 in the third round of the U.S. Women's Open, setting a record that stood for 14 years. While competing for Wichita University, she was runner-up in the National Women's Intercollegiate Championships in 1957 and again in 1958. Bell has been actively involved with the USGA since 1961, when she was a member of the Junior Championship Committee. She was on the Women's Committee for 16 years and in 1987 became the first female member of the Executive Committee for the organization which has governed the sport since 1894. Inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame; Colorado Golf Hall of Fame; Charter Inductee Kansas Golf Hall of Fame. Born September 23, 1936 - Wichita, KS. Graduated Wichita North H.S. (Wichita, KS), 1954; University of Wichita, 1961.