Sept 17, 2008 - Squashtalk has
learned of the death on September 9th of Betty Howe Constable, 84, the
legendary player, coach and member of probably the leading family in
the history of women’s squash in the United States. Five times the
winner of the U. S. Women’s Nationals (in 1950 and from 1956-59 after
several early-1950’s years spent giving birth to her three children,
Margo, Kacey and Howe), she later coached the women’s squash team at
Princeton (where her husband, Pepper Constable, had been a legend
himself as a star running back during the 1930’s) throughout the
20-year period from 1971-91. During those two decades, she compiled a
117-15 mark (73-11 in the Ivy League, which was formed in ’83 and whose
titles Constable’s teams won in ’89 and ‘91) that featured 10
undefeated dual-meet seasons (highlighted by a five-year stretch from
1977-78 through 1981-82 that encapsulated 40 consecutive dual-meet
wins) and 12 women’s intercollegiate team championships (namely from
1973-76, from 1978-81 and in ’83, ’84, ’89 and ’91), an event that
Constable herself helped develop and organize, and that became known as
the Howe Cup, in recognition of the iconic role that her family ---
whose exploits included the national titles that her sister Margaret
Howe, better known as Peggy, won in ’52 and ’53, and that their mother,
also named Margaret, who in her later years donated the permanent Howe
Cup trophy, annexed in ’29, ’32 and ’34 --- played in the history of
women’s squash in this country.
Constable also captured the 40-and-over singles in ’64, ’72 and ’73;
teamed with Peggy Carrott to win three-straight 40-and-over doubles
from 1972-74; was a member of six Wolf-Noel American squads that
competed against Great Britain; and founded the early-season Princeton
Invitational, an event that attracted the top college players and that
was re-named the Constable Cup in her honor. She also was the recipient
in 1978 of the Achievement Bowl, one of the most prestigious
citizenship awards bestowed by U. S. Squash, and was literally a
first-ballot inductee into the U. S. Squash Hall Of Fame, having been a
member of the first class of inductees in 2000, five years before her
induction into the College Squash Association Hall Of Fame. Three of
Constable’s protégées, namely Wendy Zaharko ’75 (in ’72, ’74 and ’75),
Nancy Gengler ’80 (in ’76) and Demer Holleran ’89 (in ’86, ’87 and
’89), won a combined seven intercollegiate individual crowns, and
Holleran culminated her college career with a senior season in which
she won the Individuals, as just noted; served as team captain for a
team that won both the Ivy League title and the Howe Cup; and notched
her first (of six straight) U. S. Women’s Nationals on her “home”
Jadwin Gymnasium courts on the Princeton campus; and was selected as
the recipient of the Betty Richie Award “for excellence of play,
contributions and leadership.”
Holleran recently emphasized how much of a factor the chance to be
coached by Constable was in her own decision to attend Princeton,
noting, “I liked the idea of being influenced by someone who was a
great champion.” One aspect of the Constable persona that permeates the
comments of almost every one of Constable’s former charges (as well as
her on-court opponents from her glory-years throughout the decade of
the 1950’s) interviewed for this article was what Holleran called “her
(i.e. Constable’s) fierce will to win. She instilled that. No holds
barred. Not being lady-like. You go out there to win. She made that
clear….I loved her competitiveness, a very combative spirit.” Another
gifted Tiger alumna, Mary Belknap McKee ’92, a prominent member of the
’89 and ’91 Howe Cup champion varsities, both acknowledged Constable as
a “remarkable human being” with an “amazing sense of humor” and
“generous heart,” and echoed Holleran’s prior point with her
declaration that “She was probably the most competitive individual I’ve
ever met.”
Even some of the players on the Princeton MEN’S team occasionally came
into Constable’s line of fire in her pursuit of excellence for her
women’s team --- Arif Sarfraz ’76, a top player on Ivy League champion
Princeton teams, recalled one afternoon “when Betty TOLD me to vacate
the court as it was time for women’s practice,” adding that he slammed
the door on his way out to demonstrate his displeasure but apologized
soon thereafter, leading to a lasting friendship. She was known as a
player for a deadly forehand reverse-corner and for aggressive court
positioning, as well as for a lob serve whose effectiveness was abetted
by both her left-handedness and the cold-court environment that
characterized squash facilities in those days.
Though slowed considerably by a stroke she suffered during the early
2000’s, Constable faithfully and enthusiastically attended the
Princeton women’s home matches (which culminated in Howe Cup titles
each of the past two years) until very shortly before her death.
Current Princeton women’s coach Gail Ramsay, now entering her 15th
season in that position, fully summarized the reaction on campus to the
sad news when she stated, “We will dearly miss Betty and her
everlasting love and loyalty for Princeton squash. She was an
inspiration to her players and a trailblazer for women in sports.” A
memorial service will be held at 2:00 on the afternoon of September
28th at the Princeton University Chapel, with a reception to follow.