Originally known as the Philadelphia Quick Steppers, the Tribune Girls were organized in the late 1920s and got their name when team manager Inez Patterson proposed a sponsorship arrangement with the Philadelphia Tribune, one of the country’s leading African American newspapers.
Location: Philadelphia, PA Manager: Inez Patterson Established: Late 1920s Sponsor: Philadelphia Tribune
Though the team began to fade with the onset of World War II, their pioneering efforts helped shatter many of the barriers to African-American female involvement in the business of sports.
The Tribune Girls basketball team, ca. 1930s, featuring future Basketball Hall of Fame member Ora Washington, third from right.
