Women of
the Halls of Fame
Senda Berenson Abbott
Female Basketball Player
Born: March 19, 1868
Hometown: Vilna, Lithuania (Later became a U.S. Citizen)
Died: February 16, 1954
Year Inducted: 1999
Senda Berenson Abbott is hailed the founder of women’s basketball. She was born in Vilna, Lithuania on March 19, 1868, as Senda Valvrojenski. Her family immigrated to the United States when she was seven and changed their last name to the more American sounding “Berenson.” Berenson attended high school at the Girls’ Latin School in Boston, Massachusetts, but did not graduate.
In 1890, she went to the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics. She completed two years there before moving on to become the Director of Physical Education at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. While there, Berenson read about a recently invented game called “Basket Ball.” This game was created in the nearby town of Springfield by a man named Dr. James Naismith.
Since it was considered unhealthy and improper for women to participate in vigorous physical activity at that time, Berenson altered the rules of the game so that it was acceptable for women to play. This included dividing the court into three sections, to which players were assigned and could not leave.
Berenson organized the first women’s basketball game at Smith College, which took place on March 22, 1893, and created the first Basketball Guide for Women. She also served as the Chairperson for the Women’s Basketball Committee for twelve years. During this time, she continued to improve the game of women’s basketball by progressively altering the rulebook. Berenson held her final job as the head of the physical education department at Burnham School in Northampton, Massachusetts until 1921. She died on February 16, 1954.